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Colonel Embury P. Clark 



SPRINGFIELD 



IN THE 



SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 



BY 

WALTER W. WARD 



LLUSTRATED 



PRESS OF 
ENTERPRISE PRINTING COMPANY 
EASTHAMPTON, MASS. 
1899. 






/ 3 srj y -\ 

7 



To THE 

Officers and Men 

OF G, B AND K Companies 

Second Regiment Massachusetts 

Infantry, U. S. V., and 

H Company, Naval Brigade. 



PREFACE 



In the Spanish-American war of 1898, Springfield rose to 
the occasion as she did in 1776 and 1861 and sent her young- 
est and best and bravest sons to the front. It was her sons 
who fought and fell at El Caney, the one battle of modern 
times where infantry, practically unsupported" by artillery, 
captured a well fortified town and it was her sons who were 
in the lead in drawing the attacking lines so tightly about 
the city of Santiago that its surrender had to follow. It 
was her sons also who, on the high seas, on a fast auxiliary 
cruiser, did faithful service as a portion of the navy and had 
the satisfaction of doing their share in remembering the 
Maine by sinking a Spanish transport and a gun boat. Her 
sons fell on the battlefield and died in the camps and hospit- 
als after enduring as soldiers, the hardships and toils of one 
of the shortest yet most important and bloodiest campaigns 
in history and of the honors of that war, Springfield claims 
a goodly share for herself. 

In the near future a monument, the funds for which have 
been contributed from near and far, will be erected in 
Springfield to the memory of the officers and men of the 
Second Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry, U. S. Volunteers 



who fell or died in the Spanish war. On that monument, 
whatever form it may take, will be inscribed the names of 
Bowen, Harry and Paul Vesper, Bearse, Noone, Piper, 
Boone, Jones, Richmond, Packard, Kelly, Moody, Burn- 
ham, Malone, Burke, Little, Stetson, Creley, Lyons and 
Morehouse. But their names have long before this been 
permanently inscribed on the hearts of their comrades 
and in no place are they more secure. They died 
for the flag, the highest honor possible to an American 
citizen. This volume is written in the attempt to 
portray as clearly as memory serves what these men and 
their comrades did in the war with Spain. While not actu- 
ally a history, the intention has been to show as clearly as 
possible the people of Springfield what it was their sons and 
brothers and friends in her four organizations at the front 
went through in their short campaign. 

Springfield, Nov. 1899. W. W. W. 



LIST OF CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER. PAGE 

I. Which is preliminary to those which 

follow it, 9 

II. Which tells about the calling out of 

H company, Naval Brigade, - - - 14 

III. How G, B and K companies went to 

South Framingham, - - - - 19 

IV. Wherein is told how we were trans- 
formed from "tin" soldiers into the 

real article, 25 

V. We get orders to leave for the sunny 

South and obey them, 32 

VI. We go to the Southland and begin to 

find out where we are at, . . . 33 

VII. We stay in Ybor City and then 
enjoy(?) life on the transpoi-ts in the 

harbor, 44 

VIII, We have a lovely sail on the palatial 
Knickerbocker and reach Cuba with- 
out mishap, -.--.. 51 
IX. Wherein is related our landing at 
Daiquiri and some things which sub- 
sequently happened, 59 

X. In which is to be found the tale of 

Crab Hollow and some other things, - 68 



XI. 



Which tells how we got ready to 
take the town of El Caney, 
Wherein is related some events which 
happened to us on July first, 
XIII. We learn some more things about the 
art of war as conducted in these days 
We continue our education in the art 
of war and learn a few things, 
We have to face another enemy mor« 
deadly than the Spaniards, 
XVI. Our voyage homeward on the death 

ship Mobile, 

XVII. We and our friends enjoy ourselves 
at Camp Wickoff, Montauk Point, 

XVIII. In which is told how we prepare to 
quit Uncle Sam's service. 
We become plain citizens once more 
and square accounts with Uncle Sam, - 
Wherein is narrated the adventures 
on the high seas of Springfield's 
sailors, 

Roster, - - - - - - r -. 

The Roll of Honor, . r . , . 

Springfield's Dead Heroes, - r r r 



XII. 



XIV. 



XV. 



XIX. 



XX. 



76 
84 
94 
106 
119 
129 
136 
143 
151 



161 
172 

178 
180 



THE CAMPAIGN IN CUBA. 



Experiences of Go's G, B and K, M. V. M., and H 
Go., Naval Brigade in tlie war of 1898 and 
record of its service in the opera- 
tions against Santiago. 



BY WALTER W. WARD. 



CHAPTER I. 

WHICH IS PRELIMINARY TO THOSE WHICH FOLLOW IT. 

■^|^|r|i^ITHIN the few years preceding the fateful one of 
t^t/^/l ^^^^ ^ decided impetus had been given the mihtary 
:-^^^^ spirit in Springfield by the stationing of two addi- 
tional companies of the state militia in this city. 
To the already organized companies, G and B of 
the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, had been added K com- 
pany, the company of that name in Amherst having been 
disbanded and its letter transferred to Springfield. The 
organization in this city of a company of the state naval 
brigade and the building of a handsome and commodious 
state armory helped to place the militia of Springfield on a 
higher level in the public interest and regard than had previ- 
ously been the case. 



Spriniijfield has always been rich in mihtary tradition. 
Her earliest sons helped fight the Indians who disputed the 
right of the first settlers to the lands they roamed over in the 
fertile Connecticut valley ; they had served in the Colonial 
wars and Springfield blood was shed in the Revolutionary 
war. Soon after this war Springfield was the scene of one 
of the episodes of Shay's rebellion. In the Civil war she 
sent her full quota and more of her young men to serve 
under the flag and after the war the ranks of her militia 
companies were always kept filled with her best j'oung men. 
Undoubtedly the presence here of a United States military 
post and the famous Springfield arsenal has done much to 
aid in keeping up the military spirit. 

For long years, reaching back to a time before the rebel 
guns opened fire on Fort Sumter, Springfield's one militarj- 
compan}" was the City guard, which after being attached to 
several of the state militia organizations became under the 
final reorganization of the state troops B company of the Sec- 
ond regiment of infantry, M. V. M. In 1868 a number of 
the veterans of the Civil war organized the Peabody guard 
which was attached to the Second regiment as G company. 
Both these companies were always composed of good material 
andmaintained a high place in the state militia, not only for 
excellence in drill but in discipline and marksmanship. The 
location of regimental headquarters hereseveral j'ears ago 
aided in making military interest more rife than for some 
years. 

With four companies of militia instead of two, with head- 
quarters and a fine new armorj- in place of the more or less 
unsatisfactory quarters previously occupied and with public 
feeling more united in their support than it had been for 
yei\rs the militia of Springfield felt they had entered upon a 
new period and it was one, which though they did not then 
realize it, was to soon test the courage and soldierly qualities 
of many of the officers and men of the Springfield militia. 

10 



But with this then unknown the spirit of soldierly pride and 
loyalty to their organizations led officers and men to constant 
striving to be at the top or as near the top as possible, of the 
militia of the state in all things soldierly. In drill, in disci- 
pline, in knowledge of guard duty, in marksmanship and in 
all the other details tbat go to make up a good soldier there 
was assiduous practice and to the furtherance of that end 
many of the ceremonial features of military life, to which 
great importance had previousl}- been attached, were di'^- 
carded as far as possible. This was thoroughly in line with 
the policy of the state military authorities and its value was 
to be proven sooner than was anticipated. 

It did not take a very far seeing mind to realize in the fall 
of 1897 and the first two months of 1898 that matters with 
regard to the polic}' of the United States in the affairs or 
Cuba might soon produce a crisis so acute that the military 
power of the Republic would have to be called upon. Cer- 
tainly it was realized by the militiamen and the progress of 
events from the beginning of 1898 to the night of the de- 
struction of the Maine was by none more closely watched 
than by the men who gathered in the company rooms in the 
armory each night. 

When it was known definitely that the long anticipated 
call to arms could not be much longer delayed the local 
militia was never in finer fettle. The ranks of every com- 
pany were filled and soldierly enthusiasm ran high. New 
arms, not comparable of course with those of the regular 
army but better than any previous militia armament, had 
been issued and the equipments and uniforms were in good 
and serviceable condition. Applications for enlistment were 
so numerous that had there been eight companies instead of 
four their ranks could have easily been filled up. 

It was on the 29th of April, 1898, that the call for troops 
came to Springfield. On the 2od President McKinley had 
issued the first call for troops and six days later Gov. Wol- 

• 11 



cott designated Col. E. P. Clark of the Second as one of the 
six commanding officers to raise a regiment of volunteers for 
the United States service. It was provided that members of 
the militia were to be given the preference in enlistments to 
the volunteer regiments, the residue being made up bj' enlist- 
ment of other citizens. The Second was ordered to report at 
the state camp c,round at South Framingham on May 3 for 
muster into the United States service. April 29th fell on 
Friday and May 3 on Tuesday of the following week so that 
there was not any too much time in which to enlist men for 
tlie companies and get everj'thing in readiness for service. 
But what time there was on hand was so well utilized that 
promptly at the hour ordered on the morning of Ma}' 3d the 
three Springfield companies were at the armory with full 
ranks and fully equipped, all the state property and equipage 
not needed packed up and read}" for shipment to the state 
arsenal. 

Every officer of the three companies and fully 70 per cent. 
of the men who had been in their ranks in the militia service 
was on hand. Capt. John J. Leonard of G, a veteran in the 
militia, was at the head of his company and with him his 
two lieutenants, T. A. Sweney and E. J. Leyden. Capt. 
Henry McDonald of B company, a veteran both of the regu- 
lar army and the militia, and his lieutenants, William L. 
Young and Harry J. Vesper were on hand promptly and so 
was Capt. W. S. Warriner and Lieutenants P. C. Powers 
and Harry H. Parkhurst of K company. All three compa- 
nies were proud of their officers and they had every reason 
to be. 

And here a little digression. No effort of any kind was 
made to transfer as absolute unities the companies of militia 
into companies of United States Volunteers. It can truth- 
fully be said that no man was asked to go to South Framing- 
ham by the officers. On the contrary Col. Clark and the 
company officers were all careful to impress upon the men of 

12 



the militia that their volunteering into the service of the 
United States was purely a voluntary and personal matter 
with them. There were dozens of instances in which the 
officers realized that the sacrifice was such as some of their 
men should not make. There were men with families 
dependent upon them or so otherwise circumstanced that it 
was best for them not to go and these men were talked to 
candidly and kindly and dissuaded from putting their names 
on the enlistment rolls. It was a volunteer movement purely 
and simply and the Second was in the highest sense of the 
word a volunteer regiment. 

Long before the orders for mobilization at South Framing- 
ham were issued preparations had been made to the end that 
Massachusetts might be ready to respond to the first call for 
troops from the national government. Early in April Gov. 
Wolcott had constituted some of the officers of the state mili- 
tia as his advisory board in matters relating to the part 
Massachusetts would take in the war. On April 20, Col. 
Clark of the Second and some of his field and staff officers 
were called to Boston in consultation with the governor and 
on the 24th Gov. Wolcott in his capacity of commander-in- 
chief of the military and naval forces of the state issued an 
order calling upon the militia to hold themselves in readiness 
for duty within 24 hours. 




CHAPTER 11. 

WHICH TELLS ABOUT THE CALLING OUT OF H COMPANY, 
NAVAL BRIGADE. 

rEANWHILE, and while the infantry were getting in 
readiness, Springfield had already sent some of her 
sons on duty. The naval arm of the service was 
in a far more advanced state of preparation than 
was the army and it was the general opinion that 
of necessity the war would be one in which the navy 
would take the most prominent part, leaving but little 
for the land forces to do except garrison dut3^ Springfield 
had taken great pride in her company of the Massachusetts 
naval brigade since its organization and expected great things 
of it in the event of its being called upon for duty. 

On April 2 came the first intimation that Springfield was 
to be called upon for men. Although war had not been de- 
clared and strenuous efforts were being made to head it off by 
the peace-at-any-price men, the navy department had set 
about getting into commission all the vessels that it could. 
At the League Island navy j^ard, Philadelphia, there lay a 
number of the old time monitors, some of them having been 
moored there since shortly after the close of the civil war, 
and it was decided to put them into condition for harbor de- 
fense purposes. Two were to be assigned to Boston harbor 
and on April 2 came orders to Lieut. J. K. Dexter, the com- 
mander of H company naval brigade, to proceed to the 



League Island yard as an officer of one of the monitors. 
Lieut. Dexter left that night and remained on duty at the 
yard until April 16, when he returned to bring down the de- 
tail of his company which was to form part of the crew of 
the single turreted monitor Lehigh. It was not until April 
17 th that the Lehigh detail left for the Philadelphia navy 
yard although there had been many rumors as to when the 
men would go and the quarters of the company at the state 
armory were filled every night with the men and their 
friends. On the 16th Lieut. Dexter returned unexpectedly 
from Philadelphia and at once set about getting his detail 
together. It was on Sunday, but with the aid of the alarm 
list system, the telephone and special messengers the men 
were soon notified and assembled at the armory. The detail 
as finally made up was: Lieut. Jenness K. Dexter; Chief 
Boatswain's Mate, Frank H. Bowen; Boatswain's Mates, 
Robert T. Whitehouse, A. T. Wright; Gunner's Mate, F. 
W. Baum; Coxswain, W. S. Johnson; Acting Coxswain, 
S. L. Ruden; Quartermaster, W. A. Sabin ; and Seamen 
Paul H. Lathrop, R. H. B. Warburton, W. F. Bright, R. 
P. King, A. Mellor, A. N. Luce, and L. E. Ladd. The de- 
tail marched to the union station at about 8.30 and took the 
9 o'clock train for New York, receiving an ovation as it 
passed through Main street and again at the station as the 
train pulled out. 

On the same day Lieut. ( junior grade ) Henry S. Cross- 
man, who was in command of the company during the ab- 
sence of Lieut. Dexter, received orders from Capt. Weeks of 
the naval brigade to hold himself in readiness to proceed to 
the Brooklyn navy yard and there report to Admiral Bunce, 
commanding the yard, as watch officer of the auxiliar}' cruis- 
er Prairie to which the Massachusetts naval brigade was to 
be assigned. Lieut, (junior grade) W. O. Cohn was ordered 
to be in readiness to proceed to Boston and report for duty on 
the U. S. S. Minnesota, Ensign W. S. Barr was ordered to 

15 



be in readiness to go to the Brooklyn navy yard as one of the 
watch officers of the Prairie and Ensign Fred T. Ley was 
ordered to the same ship as watch officer and Captain's clerk. 

On April 22d these orders were changed, Lieut. Colin and 
Easign Barr being ordered to report for duty on board the 
monitor Lehigh on her arrival in Boston harbor. 

On April 23d, Lieut, Grossman received orders to proceed 
with the remaining men of H company to the Brooklyn 
navy yard there to go on board the Prairie as part of her 
crew during the war. These orders were received on the 
morning of the 23d and as soon as it became known about 
the city that the men were to go, the war time scenes of 1861 
were re-enacted. It was at first planned to have the company 
take an early evening train but as Lieut. Crossman found 
they could go just as well on the early morning train from 
Boston he decided to take that, thus giving the men more 
time in which to settle up their affairs and get everything in 
readiness for leaving. 

Information about the Prairie had already been pretty well 
disseminated about the city. It was known that she was 
formerly the fast steamer, El Sud, of the Morgan line and 
was capable of doing excellent duty as one of Uncle Sam's 
auxiliary cruisers. At the time she was in the Brooklyn 
navy yard being changed over from a passenger and freight 
vessel to a war ship and the job was requiring longer time 
than had been anticipated. 

The quarters of H company and the state armory were the 
busiest places in Springfield that afternoon and eveniiig. 
The " jackies" were getting their dunnage rolls and equip- 
ment together and relatives and friends were on hand to say 
farewell and see their "boys" off. Owing to the time at 
which the company had orders to leave the armory, 1.30 a. 
m., it was hardly expected there would be much of a crowd 
on hand to give the command a suitable farewell but this 
was a mistake. Long before the hour at which the company 

16 



was to leave the streets leading to the union station were 
crowded and more enthusiasm was shown than had been the 
case in Springfield for many a day. It was at 1.30 o'clock in 
the morning of the 24:th that the company, fullj- armed, 
equipped, in the regulation uniform of tlie jackies of the 
navy left the armory and marched through Main street to the 
union station to take the 3.20 train for New York, special 
cars for the company having been attached to the train. In 
spite of the lateness of the hour Springfield's citizens and the 
relatives, friends of the company were determined not to let 
the command leave the city without some demonstration. 
All night long up to the time for leaving the armory the build- 
ing was filled with the relatives, friends of the members as 
well as those who while not bound to them by any intimate 
ties yet wished by their presence to show appreciation of the 
spirit which had prompted the young men to answer their 
country's call, even though it involved sacrifices hard indeed, 
to make. 

From midnight until, the hour for departure Main street 
was well filled with a waiting crowd and when the company 
marched from its armory, swinging into Main street, a cheer 
went up which was continuous \mtil the train had borne the 
company out of sight of the assembled thousands. Rockets 
and colored fire lent brilliancy to the march and as the sta- 
tion was neared the denser grew the crowd until it was with 
difficulty a way was cleared for the company. Thousands, 
men and women, had gathered at the station and it was a 
scene wortlij^ the pencil of a great artist, that farewell as the 
men marched up and boarded the cars with military pre- 
cision. There were cheers and good wishes, personal fare- 
wells and tears, all commingling in one mass of sound that 
the station space had never heard before. But as the engine 
bell rang and the train began to move with slowly increasing 
swiftness out of the station all sounds merged into mighty 
cheers, which rose thunderously from the thousands of peo- 

b 17 



pie. In that uproar of cheers were submerged for the time 
the sobs of a few whose near and dear ones were on the 
train. 

So Springfield sent her first contingent to serve under the 
old flag in the war against Spain. 



CHAPTER III. 

HOW G, B AND K COMPANIES WENT TO SOUTH FRAMINGHAM. 

^HILE the naval militiamen of Springfield were be- 

IWI ^^S sent off to their places of duty amid the 

^f^^^ cheers of the people plans for the mobilization of 

^Y^ the land forces of the state were going on apace. 
The call of President McKinley for troops was issued on 
April 23 and six days later on April 29, Col. Embury P. 
Clark of the Second Regiment of Infantry, M. V. M., was 
designated by Gov. Wolcott to raise a regiment of volunteers 
to answer the President's call as one of the four volunteer 
infantry regiments assigned to Massachusetts. On the same 
day Col. Clark was ordered to have his regiment report for 
duty at the state camp ground. South Framingham, at noon 
of May 3d, he being also ordered to assume command of the 
camp formed there by the four volunteer regiments. 

On receipt of these orders Col. Clark immediately notified 
his field and staff and company ofi&cers and from that time on 
everything at the state armory was done with a snap and a 
jump. Only a few days remained before May 3d, for that 
day fell on Tuesday, and it was Friday afternoon when the 
orders were received. Under the call the company strength 
for infantrj' was fixed at three officers and 74 enlisted men, 
but had it been 174: instead of 74 there would have been but 
little trouble in filling up the ranks. More men were anxious 
to enlist than there were places for and a hard problem for 



the company officers to face was that of discouraging and 
rejecting applicants for enlistment most of whom pleaded for 
the privilege as strongly as a ward politician does for a paying 
office. On an average about 75 per cent, of the men in the 
militia companies enlisted in the volunteers and it is only just 
to state that a good number of those who did not were 
"talked" out of it bj' their officers who realized, perhaps bet- 
ter than the men themselves, that going to the front meant 
more sacrifices than men with dependent families or relatives 
should be called upon to make. 

Meantime all was hurry and bustle at the state armory 
but order soon came out of all the apparent chaos and early 
on the morning of Tuesday," May 3d the local field and staff 
officers of the regiment and G, B and K companies, thus 
formed in the order of seniority of their captains, stood in 
the big drill shed, in full marching uniform with knapsacks 
packed and overcoats rolled up on them looking soldierly, and 
ready for whatever duty might call them to do. 

It was a dismal morning in more than one way. A driz- 
zling rain fell at intervals and there was gloom in many 
hearts among the crowds of people lining Main street and 
the union station and its approaches. Though not a shot had 
yet been fired in actual conflict between the United States 
and Spain on land and Dewey's great victory at Manilla had 
been won without the loss of a single American life, yet the 
people were beginning to understand that the grim realities 
of war might be brought home to them and this thought had 
its influence in repressing any too enthusiastic demonstration. 

But there was a demonstration, nevertheless. Outside the 
armory were hundreds of spectators, including relatives and 
friends of the boys and awaiting them were the members of 
E. K. Wilcox post, G. A. E,., the veteran corps of G com- 
pany and some veterans of B company, all headed by the 
Second Regiment band to act as escort for the companies as 
far as the union station. 

20 



Shortly after 8 o'clock the troops left the armoiy and 
headed by the escort marched through Main street and 
around Court square to city hall, where the column was 
reviewed by Mayor H. S. Dickinson and the city govern- 
ment. Thousands of people were massed here and there was 
some cheering. The fire department boys at headquarters 
on Pynchon street saluted the troops with a small cannon and 
on the rest of the way up Main street to the station there was 
some cheering but not any too much. 

At the corner of Main and Lyman streets the escort halted 
and formed in line. As the companies marched by the old 
soldiers of the civil war gave us three cheers, in which the 
militia veterans joined. The remainder of the march to the 
station was through a close packed crowd of men, women 
and children. There was some cheering, but as the soldier 
boys began to file into the waiting cars of the special train 
sobs and tears broke out from many of the women and as 
the train pulled out a few moments after 9 o'clock tears were 
more in evidence than cheers. As one of the boys put it, 
' ' They sent the naval boys off with cheers and kept the tears 
for us." 

This feeling was augmented by the enthusiasm with which 
the people of Worcester sent their three companies off- 
When our train pulled into the Worcester depot we found 
the building jammed with people, some perched upon the tops 
of standing engines and cars and the Worcester companies 
were so surrounded with people it was at first hard to tell 
where they were. When our special stopped and the 
Worcester men began to board it a volume of cheers went up 
that was almost enough to take the roof off the building. 
Everyone was cheering apparently and those who were not 
were so few in number that it was impossible to distinguish 
them. 

After leaving Springfield there were small crowds at every 
station between there and Worcester and though the train 

21 



did not stop there was much cheering and waving of hats. 
This was repeated during the run from Worcester to South 
Framingham. 

It was shortly before noon when we reached South Fram- 
ingham and marched to the camp ground amid the cheers of 
the townspeople. Reaching there the companies were dis- 
missed to quarters and dinner, which the compan}' caterers 
had ready for us, we not going on government rations until 
some days later. A majority of the boj'S had been in camp 
at South Framingham before but this was different. A state 
militia encampment is one thing and a camp of United 
States volunteers is another. The old familiar wall tents 
were there but without the customary big blue chests in 
which were always stored much that was good in the way of 
refreshment for tired and thirsty militiamen. There was a 
trifle of added sharpness to the commands of officers and 
non-commissioned officers and there were various other little 
things which combined to show us that we were on the way 
to be the " real things" instead of "tia soldiers" as we had 
been dubbed in our militia da5''S. 

"Physical examination of recruits" was the rock on which 
the desires of many of us to get at the hated Spaniards were 
to split and the rock began to show itself that very afternoon 
when A of Worcester was ordered over to brigade head- 
quarters for examination. Before the shades of e\"ening fell 
thirteen of its men had been rejected by the examining sur- 
geons and as bad news always spreads through a camp with 
greater rapidit}' than good, many of us were wondering 
whether we would meet the same fate or not within the next 
few days. 

All the line officers and 75 per cent, of our men in the mili- 
tia had come with us while there were more than enough 
"rookies" to fill out the quota. The recruits were, some of 
them, in uniform and a number had formerlj' been in the 
militia service, so that they took kindly enough to the open- 

22 



ing of camp life. But as the militia companies had only 
been composed of 58 enlisted men there were not uniforms 
enough at the time to equip the extra men and some of the 
"rookies" looked odd and felt it in their civilian attire. 
More than one practical joke was played upon them before 
'■ taps" sounded, but the great majority of the men were 
tired enough to get to quarters and hug their luxurious mat- 
tresses before the bugles sounded the last call of the day. 

Of the field and staff and non-commissioned staff resident 
in Springfield and vicinity not all came to camp. Col. Clark 
and Major Southmayd were on hand as was Lt. Paul R. 
Hawkins, the regimental adjutant. Quartermaster Colson 
of Holyoke did not come and to his place was appointed 
Corporal E. E. Sawtell of K company. Major Brown of 
Adams, the regimental surgeon and Lt. J. T. Hendrick of 
Springfield, assistant surgeon did not volunteer and a new 
surgical staff was appointed, consisting of Dr. Henry T. 
Bowen of Springfield as major and surgeon, Dr. Ernest A. 
Gates of Springfield and Dr. John S. Hitchcock of Amherst 
as assistant surgeons with the rank of first lieutenants. Dr. 
Hitchcock was a member of I company when appointed. 

There were several changes in the non-commissioned staff. 
Corporal Robert N. Ingersoll was made sergeant-major vice 
Paul Norton and Ross L. Lusk quartermaster-sergeant vice 
Melville Snow of Holyoke. Three hospital stewards instead 
of one were assigned to the regiment, and the appointees were 
Ulysses G. Fortier of Holyoke, S. H. Greenbergof Boston and 
Edson P. Howes of Springfield. No color sergeants were 
provided for in the volunteer regiments and these positions 
were filled by detail. 

It was a matter of much regret that no place was provided 
for the paymaster and inspector of rifle practice. In the Sec- 
ond as a militia regiment these positions had been filled 
respectively by Lieut. A. C. Edson of Holyoke and A. E. 
Taylor of Chicopee Falls but no such positions were provided 

23 



for in the volunteer service and these officers were forced to 
remain behind. 

The first guard mount of the camp was held in the after- 
noon with First Lieut. P. C. Powers of K company as offi- 
cer of the guard. So closed our first day at South Fram- 
ingham. 



CHAPTER IV. 

wherein is told how we were transformed from 
"tin" soldiers into the real article. 

4|f T did not require many days of camp life at South Fra- 
j| mingbam to convince about all of us that we were there 
Q' strictly for business. The weather was rather cold and 
^ there were a few flurries of snow although it was in May. 
1^ The nights were so cool that huge fires of wood were 
built on the color line each night and around these the 
men gathered spending the time in singing, story telling and 
in wondering how soon we would start for the front and just 
what part we of the Second would take in subduing the pride 
of the haughty Spaniard, 

But little in the way of drilling was done at first, but after 
a day or two the work of whipping the " rookies " into shape 
was begun, the process being the simple one of having them 
fall in with the company and learning the drill as best thej- 
could. Squad drills were also carried on and it was during 
these that the raw material was best worked up. 

Hardly had the regiment arrived in camp before regula- 
tion United States army blankets were issued to the men and 
issues of rubber blankets, " working suits " of brown canvas 
followed. 

Private Pomeroy of K company was the first of the Spring- 
field men to be taken ill. He had not been feeling well be;- 
fore leaving home but pluckily made up his mind to go with 



his company just the same, and would not admit his illness. 
Soon after arriving in can\p his condition became so serious 
that the surgeon was called to him and Pomeroy was found 
to be suffering with tonsilitis. He was removed from the 
camp to a hospital in South Framingham, but while there 
scarlet fever developed and he was sent home as soon as he 
had recovered sufficiently to be able to travel. Pomeroy felt 
much worse over his inability to go with his regiment than he 
did over his illness, serious as it was. 

The physical examinations soon made many sore hearts 
among the boys in camp, although the results of some of 
them were extremely satisfactory to the parents, relatives or 
friends of some of the would be soldiers. They were in 
charge of Capt. Bushnell U. S. A., who was assisted by the 
surgeons of the volunteer regiments in camp. B company 
was examined on Wednesday, the day after our arrival in 
camp and before sundown fully twenty men, including some 
of the oldest and best men of the compan}- had been rejected 
for one cause or another. The commissioned officers of the 
regiment were also up for examination the same da}*, and 
among those rejected was First Lieut. Thomas A. Sweeney 
of G company and one of the most efficient and popular offi- 
cers of the regiment. His rejection was a hard blow to him 
for he had set his heart on going with his men and to be re- 
jected for what he considered to be a trivial cause was worse 
to him than being hit by a Spanish bullet. His grief was 
shared by his fellow officers and men, by whom he was ex- 
ceedingly well liked. His place was filled by William C 
Hayes, a former first lieutenant of the company. 

Lieut. W. L. Young of B company was officer of the guard 
on Wednesday, and among the incidents of his tour of duty 
that night was the rather unusual but efficient method by 
which a private of G company who had been placed on a 
somewhat remote post relieved himself from further duty 
after walking his post only a short time. The aforesaid pri- 

26 



vate corclnded that he woukl be mucli more comfortable in 
his tent with his " bunkies " tlian walking his post for the 
remainder of his two hours, and so proceeded to the guard 
house, placed his rifle in a corner and announced to the officer 
of the guard " I'm relieved." Before Lieutenant Young 
could recover from his astonishment at the new method of 
getting out of guard duty, the private had gone to his own 
quarters where he slept j^eacefully for the remainder of the 
night. 

The results of the phj'sical examinations were to " throw 
out " many of the best men in the three Springfield compan- 
ies, and as this was not at all satisfactorj^ to their captains, 
some vigorous "kicking" resulted. In many cases men 
were rejected for trivial causes, but as the result of vigorous 
objections to the policy, made by Captains Leonard, McDon- 
ald and Warriner, a number of the rejected men were re-ex- 
amined and the majority of them accepted. In some in- 
stances more than two examinations were given the same 
man, and an instance where grit and a determination to go 
with his company got the best of the examining surgeons was 
the case of Sergeant Richard H. Bearse, better known as 
" Dickie." He was twice examined and rejected but through 
his efforts, aided by those of Capt. McDonald, he was given 
a third trial and passed. 

Could those people who had been for some years in the hab- 
it of sneering at the militiamen as "tin soldiers " have seen 
the way in which the rejected ones took their fate they would 
have changed their minds as to the soldierly calibre of the 
men of the Second. It was easy to tell the rejected ones as 
they came across the parade ground from the surgeon's quar- 
ters, many of them with tears in their eyes, all with down- 
cast faces, because their bodies had not been strong enough 
to let them go with the regiment. Their hearts were strong 
enough to go to the front and fight for the flag but the gov- 
ernment demaiided stout bodies as well as stout hearts, and 

27 



so, many were refused. It was not always in tears and 
"blue" looks that the rejected appeared from the exam- 
ining rooms. Often a rejected one would emerge, uttering 
sarcastic and profane remarks as to the amount of surgical 
knowledge possessed by the examiners, and their qualifica- 
tions generally, and some of the men exhibited a versatility 
of language in discussing their rejection and the surgeon who 
was responsible for it only possessed by men of genius. 

The rejections left the ranks of the Springfield companies 
much depleted and it was necessar)' to send officers to that 
city for recruits to fill the vacancies before the companies 
could be mustered in. Capt. Leonard of G, Lieut. Young 
of B and Lieut. Powers of K were sent on this duty and 
with them went about all of the men who had been rejected. 
As soon as the purpose of their visit was known in Spring- 
field they were besieged by applicants for enlistment but hav- 
ing learned wisdom from what had happened in camp they 
took the f)recaution to have all the ap})licants pass a medical 
examination before bringing them to South Framingham and 
as a result few of the new men the}* brought down failed to 
pass the examining surgeons at the camp. 

On May 6, another member of K company, Private Cook, 
was taken ill with tonsilitis and was sent home, much to his 
disgust. 

On the same day the field and staff officers of the Second 
were mustered into the United States service by Lieut. E. M. 
Weaver, 2d artillery, who had been detailed as mustering 
officer for the Massachusetts volunteers. Adjutant Paul R. 
Hawkins was the first one to be mustered and he was fol- 
lowed by Quartermaster E. E. Sawtell. Surgeon Bowen and 
Assistant Surgeons Gates and Hitchcock had been mustered 
in on the day after our arrival in camp and had been assigned 
U) duty in assisting in the examinations of recruits. 

First Lieut. W. C. Hayes of G joined his company on the 
afternoon of the Gth and after being examined and accepted 
was assigned to duty. 

28 



On Saturda}' and Sunday, the 7th and 8th, three batches 
of additional recruits arrived in camp and were at once 
handed over to the examining surgeons. Bj^ Sunday K 
company had filled its ranks to the required number of 74 
enlisted men and on that daj" was duly mustered into the 
military service of the United States for a period of two 
years " unless sooner discharged." The ceremony was a 
simple one. The company was marched over to brigade 
headquarters and formed in column of twos facing the mus- 
tering officer, Lieut. Weaver. The latter called out each 
man's name, beginnmg with the first sergeant and as each 
man answered he stepped to the front and facing about took 
position in front of the companj'^ in the same formation. The 
roll call over, the company was faced to the front, Lieut. 
Weaver removed his cap and the men uncovered. Then 
Lieut. Weaver read in impressive tones the oath of allegiance 
to the United States and administered it to the company, 
thus completing the ceremony which marked the transition 
of militiamen and raw recruits into soldiers of the United 
States. K companj- was the first company in Massachusetts 
to be mustered into the United States service and so far as 
known the first company in the country to be mustered in. 
That afternoon "government rations" were issued to K and 
the next day the men began eating them instead of the meals 
which had up to then been supplied by a caterer. Some of 
the men who failed to understand the difference between 
Uncle Sam's diet and that furnished at militia encampments 
found fault of course with the rations. Butter and milk are 
unknown in the regular soldiers' menu unless the company 
fund is drawn upon for them, and some of the men couldn't 
understand why they were not supplied and found fault 
accordingly. Later when we were all living luxuriously(?) 
in Cuba on "sowbelly" bacon, hardtack and coffee, some- 
times without sugar, these men remembered with fond but 
unavailing regret the once despised government rations at 

29 



South Framingham. The fond parents and relatives who 
were told in letters from camp of how meager and unsatis- 
factory the first food furnished by Uncle Sam was may cor- 
rect their idea by glancing over the rations issued for the first 
five days to K company while at South Framingham : 

300 lbs. potatoes; 422 lbs. flour; 2Tf lbs. bacon; 7 lbs. rice; 43f lbs. 
beans; 30 lbs. coffee; 56^ lbs. sugar; 15 lbs. salt; f lb. pepper; 15 lbs. 
soap; 75 lbs. onions; 5f lbs. candles; 3f gallons vinegar and 422 lbs. 
fresh beef. 

It is understood of course that the soap and candles were 
not issued as edibles but for cleansing and illuminating pur- 
poses. And it can also be seen that in the above rations 
there are possibilities for good eating and plenty of it. As a 
matter of fact milk and butter were soon supplied from the 
company funds. 

G and B companies were mustered in on the 10th with 
full ranks. G was to have been mustered in the day previ- 
ous but when the time arrived one private, a raw recruit, was 
missing and as the entire companj^ was obliged to be on hand 
for muster the ceremony was dispensed with for that day and 
the men were marched back vowing vengeance upon the 
man who had kept them for 24 hours from getting into the 
service. Before very long another recruit was found and 
when the missing private turned up full of penitence and 
other things his uniform was taken off and after receiving a 
talking to from Capt. Leonard that made his cheeks burn 
with shame he was shipped out of camp. 

The boys found plenty of amusement during their camp 
life and with nearly 1000 young fellows in one regiment time 
did not hang very heavily on their hands during the times 
between drills and (^ther duties. Base ball and other sports 
were indulged in and letter writing and visits to the other 
regiments or an occasional pass to town prevented anything 
like ennui. .In the Springfield companies there were few 
tent crews that did not have some distinctive appellation for 
their habitation. Private J. C. Ryan of B made his tent 

30 



famous as a " steam laundry" and in G street there was the 
' ' Hotel Dingbat, " so named because the men who occupied 
it could not think of anything else to call it. In K there was 
quickly organized an outfit later to be known as the ' ' Wee 
Haws" and which made itself somewhat famous by the gift 
of song possessed by its members. 

The "board of license commissioners" so famous during 
the encampment of 1897 was on hand but its members had 
but little of an official nature to do as the camp of '98 was 
officially a "dry camp." A good share of the dryness was, 
however, confined to the weather and a careful search of the 
records fails to show that any inmate of the camp died of 
thirst, although there were some serious cases. 




CHAPTER V. 

WE GET ORDERS TO LEAVE FOR THE SUXNY SOUTH 
AND OBEY THEM. 

LL of the time during our stay in camp speculation 
was rife as to when we were going to the front and 
how; also under what designation were we going. 
It had been circulated that we were to be known as 
the 63d United States Volunteers, and other rumors, 
all of which turned out to be just as near the truth as that one 
were put into commission. These marked the origin of the 
" Jo Jo " bureau of misinformation which later became an 
important feature of the campaign. 

On the night of Wednesday, Maj'' 11th at 9.30, orders were 
flashed over the wires from Wasliiugtou to Lieut. Weaver to 
send the Second at once to Tampa, Fla,, where the army of 
invasion of Cuba was gathering. Almost everj'one except 
the guard and a few officers and attaches at regimental head- 
quarters, was asleep when the orders came but within a very 
few moments after their purport had been announced, there 
was the wildest scene of excitement in the camp that had 
'ever been witnessed in South FrHmingham. From Lieut. 
Weaver the orders were (quickly transmitted to regimental 
headquarters and from there to the officers of the regiment. 
Liside of ten minutes from their receipt by Lieut. Weaver, 
every man of the Second was awake and in his company 
street and exultant shouts that went up, quickly aroused the 
other regiments. The Second was to be the first command 




< 

o 
O 

o 

GO 

O 

o 

o 



o 
O 

o 

Q 

;z; 

Q 

Jz; 

O 



o 
O 



from the old Bay State to be ordered outside her boundaries 
for active service and the men were so proud of it that they 
could not refrain from reminding the men of the other three 
regiments ot the fact. To the ci'edit of tlie latter it must be 
said that although at first they were a bit inclined to sulk be- 
cause their regiment was not the first to be called upon, yet 
they soon realized that the honor was in a sense as much 
Massachusetts' as it was the Second's, and their cheers joined 
in with ours. 

Meanwhile, the regimental and company' officers were do- 
ing some lively work. Col, Clark had gone to Springfield 
that morning, and a number of officers and men were away 
on leave, no one expecting that the orders would come for a 
day or two. The regiment was ordered to move the next 
day and before the orders had been known of but a very few 
minutes, telegraph and telephone messages were sent to the 
absent ones informing them of what had happened. This 
done, the work of completing the equipment of the regiment 
was taken up and pushed in livel}^ fashion. There were 
many little details to be attended to and there was little sleep 
for headquartei-s that night. How well the work was done 
is attested by the fact that at an early hour the next morning 
the regiment had its tents struck and packed, and long be- 
fore the hour at which many of the folks at home were eat- 
ing their breakfasts, was in readiness to move. Reveille was 
sounded at 4 o'clock that morning and by 6 there was but lit- 
tle remaining to be done. 

Although anxious for active service there was one thing 
about the orders which was not at all relished bj' the regi- 
ment and that was the route to be followed. It had been ex- 
pected and understood that when the Second would go south 
its route would be through Worcester and Springfield, thus 
giving us a chance for a genuine au revoir to home and 
friends. We all of us knew that the "farewell" accorded 
us on leaving Springfield for the camp at South Framingham 

d 33 



would be tame indeed to the reception we might expect when 
we passed through there as United States Volunteers, with a 
large V, and bound for the front. Some of the boys, to be 
sure, dreaded the thought of having to say '* good bye " to 
the accompaniment of tears and sobs again but the majority 
were anxious for one more look at what part of Springfield 
to be seen from the union station and were consequently 
much disappointed when it was announced that instead of 
going via Springfield, the route was to be by way of New- 
port, R. I. 

There was much disappointment, too, in Springfield when 
the route was announced. ,But not to he be beaten, a party 
of citizens headed by Major H. S. Dickinson, arranged for a 
special train to South Framingham, the day we were to leave 
and so we were not allowed to go without some sort of a 
farewell demonstration from the people of our own city. 

On the day previous to our receiving the " rush " orders to 
the south, a number of visitors including ex-Lieut. Gov. W. 
H. Haile, Col. A. H. Goetting and James D. Gill of Spring- 
field were in camp, and it came to their attention that the 
Second was not provided with a band or even field music. 
No regimental bands were included in the organization of the 
volunteer regiments nor even field music, the sole musical 
property being the bugles of which there were two to each 
company. It was looked upon as a proper and desirable 
thing that the Second should at least have field music, or in 
civilian parlance, a drum corps, and these three gentlemen 
constituted themselves a committee on ways and means to 
that end. It was known that there were enough musicians 
in the regiment to form a drum corps if there were instru- 
ments provided for them and before the next day through the 
generosity of the three gentlemen named, the Second was 
provided with fifes, drums, etc., and the members of the 
corps selected. 

Thursday, May 12th, we bade good-bye to South Fram- 

34 



ingham. There was difficulty in getting transportation for 
our baggage and it was not until a late hour in the after- 
noon that everybody was in readiness. Meanwhile we hung 
around our former quarters and killed time as best we could. 
A short time after dinner, our last meal on the "old camp 
ground," the "assembly" and "adjutant's call" were 
sounded and the regiment was formed to pass in review be- 
fore Gov. Wolcott. The march past over, hollow square 
was formed and the governor presented the officers their 
commissions and made a brief speech telling us to uphold 
the honor of the old commonwealth. 

While this was going on we heard the strains of a band 
and soon in marched a delegation from Springfield, headed 
by the Second regiment band and led by Mayor Dickinson, 
members of Wilcox post of the Grand Army and Peabody 
Guard Veterans, while relatives and friends of the boys 
made up the rest of the 500 in the party. Soon after their 
arrival we were dismissed and then followed one of the in- 
teresting scenes of our war experience. Hardly had we 
broken ranks before we were surrounded by the visitors and 
there was falling upon each other's necks, handshaking, 
good wishes, smiles and tears all commingled in one scene 
of such excitement as we had never been through before. 
Every male \nsitor brought cigars or refreshments for the 
boys and for an hour or so nothing was too good for us. 

But all things have an end and finally the bugles blew 
and after a last hurried kiss or handshake we fell in again 
and marched out to the parade ground for the last time. 
The colors dipped once more to the governor and then 
through a double line of cheering soldiers from the other 
regiments and our own friends we marched out of the camp 
and down the dusty road to the railroad station, escorted by 
two troops of cavalry and amid the cheers and good wishes 
of the thousands who thronged the walks. We passed 
under the handsome arch erected by the people of South 

35 



Fraanngham in honor of the soldiers and after one last 
opportunity to say farewell went on board the special trains, 
waiting for us. So we left good old Massachusetts. 

On our way to Newport we were shown how the people 
of other places regarded us. At every station our train 
passed through there were cheering crowds and enthusiasm 
seemed to be in evidence everywhere. We reached New- 
port about 9.30 and were transferred to the palatial steamer 
"Pilgrim" of the Fall River Hue. 

" This isn't so bad for army travelling," was the common 
remark as soon as the boj^s found what accommodations 
had been made for them. There were nearly enough state- 
rooms to provide every man with a bunk and those who 
failed to get a room found nice, thick mattresses spread for 
them on the saloon floors. It brought the ' ' Trip to New 
York " and Valiquet back to the memories of manj' of us 
because the accommodations were so different. 

But it was a tired lot of boys that boarded the Pilgrim 
that night and it was not long before all of them were test- 
ing the mattresses and bunks, after indulging by the way 
for the first time in the " travel ration." This was our first 
encounter with the canned beef department but somehew it 
tasted better then than it ever did afterwards. Also we 
allowed our teeth to play with the ligneous hardtack and 
finally fatigued with our exertions we slept soundly. 

The next morning when we woke up we were in the East 
river and at the sight of her blue coated cargo every steam 
craft that met the Pilgrim saluted with steam whistles while 
their crews or passengers as well as those of the sailing 
craft cheered and waved handkerchiefs or anything else 
waveable. From every factory along the shore came the 
shrieks of the steam whistles and the shouts of their occu- 
pants and our progress down the river to the Fall Rive r 
line pier was a triumphal progress. 

When we reached the pier it was not long before we were 

36 



transferred to the transports Saratoga and Vigilancia, the 
Springfield companies being on board the latter. Then it 
was that we began to realize what war was. Down in the 
dirtv, dark and ill smelling hold we could see men at work 
building rough wooden bunks for us and the language used 
concerning these bunks and their location was copious and 
picturesque to a high degree. No "Pilgrim" accommoda- 
tions were these. No mattresses 13 inches thick to rest our 
weary bones upon but the soft and splintered pine boards were 
to form our couch. Also the travel ration with its components 
of canned roast beef(?), canned corn beef, canned beans and 
hardtack was beginning to pall upon our palates. We were 
not used to such Epicurean fare and began to fear gout and 
other incidentals of too luxurious living. So we gathered 
together and said things but all the time the carpenters went 
on constructing the bunks and no dinners were brought on 
for us from the "Waldorf-Astoria. 

Our first cruise on the Vigilancia was further up the North 
river where we waited until late in the afternoon and while 
waiting many of the boys managed to get ashore. Some of 
them were nearly left behind as we pulled out of the dock 
and a few did get left on shore, but they chartered a tug and 
soon caught us. That night our transports sailed down the 
harbor as far as Bedloe's Island where we anchored opposite 
the Bartholdi statue and where we stayed anchored until the 
next afternoon. That night the much discussed wooden 
troughs officially named bunks were used and were the cause 
of much profane language for which the recording angel 
ought to be able to find a good excuse if he has any love for 
volunteer soldiers in his composition. Late that afternoon 
we were taken over to Jersey City and transferred to a spe- 
cial train of three sections of 14 cars each on which we were 
to make the trip to Tampa. And thus ended our first sea 
voyage. 



CHAPTER VI. 

WE GO TO THE SOUTHLAND AND BEGIN TO FIND OUT WHERE 

WE ARE AT. 

^'^ N Saturday evening, May 14, we started once more 
for the South, this time by train and had the distin- 




guished honor of beating out the much -advertised 
71st New York, which had been ordered to start at 
the same time, but forgot its tentage on board the 
steamers and was obHged to wait for several hours in conse- 
quence. Our train accommodations could have been much 
worse, the train being run in three sections of 14 cars each 
and as four companies travelled on each section this arrange- 
ment gave each companj^ three cars, while a sleeping car was 
reserved for the officers and with a baggage car made up the 
section. With three cars to a company there was plenty of 
room for the men and we managed to sleep quite comfortablj''. 
At every station along the route we received plenty of greet- 
ings and this happened so frequently after we got below 
Mason & Dixon's hue that the boys wondered a little, inas- 
much as we were from "Black Massachusetts." But it was 
evident that all but a very few of the people of the South 
realized that the civil war was over and we got no heartier 
reception anywhere along the route than in Virginia and 
North and South Carolina. 

We reached Washington early Sunday morning and made 
a brief stop just long enough to allow some of the boys to 



make a raid on a couple of milk wagons. To our disap- 
pointment the train did not run through the city but skirted 
it and we failed to get a glimpse of any of the show places. 
We kept on going and late Monday evening, the 16th, landed 
at Lakeland, Fla., where we went into camp, our destination 
having been changed by telegraphic orders received soon 
after crossing the Florida line. 

Life on the train was not very exciting. We made but 
few stops and those mainly to chango engines. In South 
Carolina we made our first acquaintance with wood burning 
engines. After these were hitched on it was a case of stop- 
ping every few miles to "wood up." When the train did 
not stop for wood it did for water and between them both 
progress was slow to us but we found that according to 
southern ideas we were going at express speed. 

Our troop train was a great attraction for the children at 
the stations where we stopped and it was a common thing for 
the boys and girls of these places to hand us bunches of jes- 
samine and magnolia flowers while the older folk looked on 
approvingly. The colored people were somewhat demonstra- 
tive but both they and the white folks never neglected an 
opportunity to sell us cakes and pies at every stop. The pies 
reminded us of those we had been getting at home, they were 
so different, but as a relief from canned meat and beans they 
were welcome. Occasionally when we stopped we found it 
possible to purchase bottled beer of an inferior grade, but 
better than most of the water we had to drink. 

On the trip south Lieuts. Young and Vesper of B company 
established records as sleepers that put them far ahead in 
their class. Captains Leonard and McDonald had the same 
section in the sleeping oar and about every night there could 
be heard a more or less vigorous protest from the former 
against Capt. McDonald's use of a 700 horse power pipe. 
Lieut. Harry Parkhurst of K was the victim of much "jolly- 
ing" over a story printed in a New York newspaper to the 

39 



effect that he was a nephew of the Rev. Dr. Parkhurst of 
New York, but he took it good iiaturedly. 

At Dupont, Ga., Private Wilham Ferrier of G foraged a 
httle during a brief stop and captured a diminutive specimen 
of the "razor back" hog prevalent in that locality and bore 
him in triumph to the train. Any visions of pork chops 
which might have been indulged in were dispelled by a look 
at the pig's anatomy which was plainly visible through his 
skin but he was taken along just the same and met his fate 
at Lakeland when he was killed and roasted by Private 
" Dido" Hunt of G and served up to a small but select circle. 
At one of the many stops in Florida a portly colored lady 
hung about the train and made violent love to the good look- 
ing officers, her comments on the personal appearance of 
some of them being rather more pungent than flattering. 
So far as known she did not steal any of them. 

During the stay at South Framingham Privates E. N. 
Aiken and B. R. Madison of K company had blossomed out 
as composers and one of their effusions which was sung by 
the more or less able musicians of the company in camp and 
on the train to the tune of: "There'll be a Hot Time in the 
Old Town To-night " was as follows : 

"When you hear those guns go bang, bang, bang. 

We'll all join in and lick that Dago gang, 

For we want war or we'll have no name at all, 

There'll be a hot time when the bugle shall call." 
The above was Private Aiken's. Here is Private Madison's : 

"In the battle front we stand with our rifles in our hand 

And for Cuba's freedom we will ever fight; 
And with showers of shot and shell, 
We'll send the Spaniards straight to h 1, 

When we march into Havana bye and bye. 
CHORUS. 

Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are marching, 
Cheer up, Cuba, we will come, 

And beneath the starry flag 

We'll tear down the Spanish rag 
And float the Cuban flag forever more." 

40 



Our arrival at Lakeland was marked by an incident which 
went to show that we were not in the north. Just as our 
train pulled in a shooting affray, in which a couple of troopers 
from the Tenth U. S. cavalry, a colored regiment and some 
white people participated, occurred and a white citizen of the 
town was killed. As nearly as we could understand it the 
troopers were not to blame but shot in self defense but there 
was much excitement in the town and strong patrols of the 
First U. S. cavalry, a white regiment, were sent out. We 
were kept in the train that night and the next morning after 
a bath in one of the many lakes from which the town takes 
its name, marched to our Ciimp at the fair grounds and on 
the shores of Lake Morton. The camp was pitched on an 
elevation and under the scjuthern pine and cypress trees from 
wliich hung long fentoons of Spanish moss. Much of this 
was gathered for bedding but it was soon abandoned for this 
purpose when it was found that it harbored numbers of liz- 
ards and sometinjes small snakes. 

Our neighbors at the camp were the First and Tenth regu- 
lar cavahy and the 71st New York which arrived a day aftgr 
we did. The 71st men being from Manhattan were inclined 
to be a bit fresh at first but they soon came to understand 
that the Second was not exactl}^ a " farmer" regiment and 
let us alone. One disagreeable incident went to show that 
among the New York officers were some snobs. Sergeant 
James Gibbons of G while ' ' down town " one day went iuto 
the dining room of the hotel and ordered his dinner. The 
commanding officer of the 71st and some of liis officers were 
in the room at the time and as soon as he realized that an en- 
listed man was actuallj' daring to eat in the same room with 
him his indignation became so great that he walked over to 
the table where Sergeant Gibbons was seated and ordered 
him to leave the place, saying that only officers were allowed 
in the dining room. Sergeant Gibbons did not feel like mov- 
ing and the hotel proprietor assured him that he would be 

e 41 



served as well as any officer. So he refused to budge and 
enjoyed his dinner, much to the disgust of the New York 
officer. 

Life at Lakeland was fairly enjoyable. The temperature 
was high, ranging from 84 on one day it rained to 124 on a 
day it did not. We had our big wall tents we had brought 
with us from South Framingham and soon had them filled 
with more or less crude devices in the way of furniture. 
Mattresses there were none and our beds were Mother Earth 
which was of a brunette hue down there. Bathing in the 
lake was a favorite pastime between drills but after the 
muddy bottom had been stirred up a little it was a question 
whether we were dirtier before the bath or after it. There 
were all kinds of "Jo Jos" about a huge alligator who made 
his home in the lake but he had evident!}' heard of our appe- 
tites and kept out of sight. 

The First cavalry, camped some distance on our right, had 
established a canteen soon after its arrival and it became a 
favorite place for our boys. A couple of days after our 
arrival we got our first mail from home and that day was a 
red letter one in our Lakeland life. 

Just before reaching Lakeland some K company foragers 
had captured a goat at one of the stops but the owner pur- 
sued the animal to Lakeland and when he put in a claim for 
him Capt. Warriner ordered the " billy " given up. Our 
menu in camp was far more varied than on the train for 
"post" rations were being issued and the company cooks 
were "getting on to their jobs." Private Mandeville, who 
afterwards acquired much fame by being left behind at Fort 
Tampa, presided over the kitchen of G. In B company' 
Walter Butler got up savory dishes and Private Harry Fisher 
looked after the culinary department for K. Butter was con- 
spicuous by its absence from the table and one boy in K 
missed it so much that he dreamed of it. One night his 
dreams were so realistic that his cry of " Ma, please pass 

42 



the butter, " awoke his tent mates and that expression was 
the ralh'ing cry in K for several days. 

The death of Private WesHe Brass of Westfield, a mem- 
ber of I company, cast a gloom over the regiment and all 
the companies turned out to do escort duty when the body 
was shipped home. His was the Srst death in the regiment. 

On Sunday, May 30th, orders came to break camp the fol- 
lowing da}' and proceed to Tampa, which we did, arrivmg 
there on Monday afternoon, the 31st. 



CHAPTER VII. 

WE STAY IN YBOR CITY AND THEN ENJOY (?) LIFE ON 
TRANSPORTS IN THE HARBOR. 

^^ UR sta}" in Tampa lasted from May 31st to June 7th 
and it was not wholly unenjoyable. In some re- 




^ spects the place was better than Lakeland, but we 
felt the heat far more than was the case in that town 
and the camp location was not as good as that of our 
camp there. But we were near Tampa and there were 
many opportunities for us to get to the city, our camp 
being in one of the suburbs some three miles from Tampa 
and known as Ybor City. Its population was made up 
mainly of Cubans and negroes and a number of cigar fac- 
tories were located there. The Cubans were all "patriots" 
of course, but our disenchantment as to Cuban patriots had 
already begun and we paid them little attention. On our 
right was camped a battalion of the Fourth regular artillery 
(heavy) and this was probably the occasion of a rumor which 
had persistent circulation for several days that we were to be 
transformed from infantiy to a heavy artillery regiment and 
assigned to sea coast duty. 

We had a lovely time pitching our tents and making camp. 
Owing to a delay in laying out the camp it was not until 
after dark on the day of our arrival that we set to work to 
pitch our tents and as a result it was not only late before we 
got to sleep but the next morning considerable work had to 



be done in rectifying the alignment of the company streets. 
The soil was nice white sand which made fairly good beds. 

On the afternoon of the next day we found out what a 
Florida "shower" could do when it tried. The rain came on 
unexpectedly and within a very few moments everything was 
in a flood. But few of the boys had taken the precaution to 
dig trenches around their tents and after the rain began to 
come down in sheets they were compelled to get out in it and 
dig or else have their quarters flooded. Here was where the 
value of the rubber blankets issued to us at South Framing- 
ham was shown. 

It was while we were at Ybor City that our regiment was 
definitely assigned. We were put into the First Brigade of 
the Sfccond Division of the Fifth army corps, our brigade 
commander being temporarily Col- Van Horn of the 22nd 
infantry while Gen. H. W. Lawton was in command of the 
division. This set at rest all the rumors about our being 
heavy artillery, cavalry and several other things. It also 
meant that we were to go to Cuba among the very first of 
the invading troops and there was no end of enthusiasm 
when this was understood. 

During our stay in Ybor City Wagoners Kingston of B, 
Shene of G and Boule of K became expert drivers of the 
army mule wagon although their trials with ,the mule 
were many and various. In B street there were some 
pathetic scenes when the members of the Kanewah club got 
together and talked over how nice it would be " to be there " 
even if the gasoline stove did not always work. 

Payday came June 4th and we got our first "whack" 
at Uncle Sam's good money. It was welcome, for since leav- 
ing South Framingham but little had been in circulation 
among our boys and we gave the paymaster the "glad hand." 
In return, he lined us up by companies and gave us green- 
backs and a little silver. We had expected a full month's 
pay but were disappointed, our pay being calculated from 

45 



May 3d, the day we had officially been mustered in, to the 
first of June. There were many applications for passes to 
visit Tampa that day and the majority'' of them were granted. 
The Seminole hotel and the stores in Ybor City and Tampa 
did a rushing business that afternoon and evening. 

The "Wee Haws "of K contributed not a little to the 
gaiety of our camp life at this time and one of their songs to 
the air of "Rally 'Round the Flag" and reflecting upon the 
subsistence department was popular. It went like this: 

Down with the hardtack I 

Hurrah, boys, hurrah, 
Down with the canned beef; 

We wonder what you are ; 
For we'll rally 'round the beans, boys, 

We'll rally once again 
Shouting the battle cry of "Wee Haw." 

'Please pass the butter,' 

Hurrah, boys, hurrah ! 
If the coffee was much thicker 

We'd sell it off for tar ; 
For we'll nerer look like Billy Fish 

Unless we get more grub — 
Shouting the battle cry of " Wee Haw." 

Ade Potter's growing thinner, 

Healey's just the same 
Brazzil, Breck and Nesbitt swear, 

Their biscuit box is lame; 
For George Potter ate his canteen 

And Aiken ate the strap 
And McCullough shouts the battle cry of "Wee Haw!" 

About this time some brainless individual sent alarming 
news hoin3 in a letter, which was published in the Spring- 
field newspapers, to the effect that sickness was prevalent in 
our camp and that a large proportion of the men of the three 
companies from that city were in the hospital seriously ill. 
As a result we soon began to get letters of anxious inquiry 
from the folks at home, and it was some time before we 

40 



could fully reassure them that the reports had been extremely 
exaggerated and that there was but little illness and none of a 
serious nature in our ranks. 

"While in Ybor City we lost two men, Privates Luther of 
K and Monteverde of G. Both were ordered to be dis- 
c harged from the service, because of having enlisted while 
under age and without the consent of their parents or guard- 
ians. Monteverde was reluctant to leave the regiment and 
pleaded hard to be allowed to go with us to Cuba even as a 
ci vilian employe, and when that was refused he offered to go 
without any pay. But this was found to be impossible and 
he and Luther were obliged to return home. The case of 
Private John K. DeLoach of B company was a hard one. 
He had enlisted in South Framingham and in some way his 
relatives, who resided in Atlanta, Ga., heard of it, and as he 
was under age and had not their consent, applied for his dis- 
charge. Orders to have him discharged were issued but they 
failed to arrive while we were in Tampa, and did not reach 
us until after the regiment had landed in Cuba and done its 
share in capturing Santiago. DeLoach had done his duty 
during the most arduous part of the campaign, and as a re- 
sult was given a " bob tail " discharge and left to get back to 
the LTnited States as best he could. Sometimes the rewards 
of patriotism are not great, and this was certainly one of 
the instances. 

June 6th orders were received to break camp and proceed 
to Port Tampa, there to go on board the transports for Cuba. 
We broke camp all right, got our tents down and all baggage 
packed and saw them sent away and then proceeded to wait. 
We waited all that afternoon and night and until late in the 
afternoon of the next day before our belated transportation 
was arranged for. As a result of a blunder in the quarter- 
master's department, we were compelled to bivouac that 
night without any shelter. This was our first real acquaint- 

47 



ance with the fact expressed in the statement attributed to 
Gen. Sherman, that " War is h— 1." 

Late in the afternoon of June Tth, we marched to the rail- 
road and went on board a train wiiich after a couple of hours 
brought us to Port Tampa, distance about eight miles. Here 
we fouad some practical illustrations of the beautiful manner 
in which the quartermaster's department was working. It 
had been stated to Col. Clark that on arriving at Port Tampa 
we were to immediately go on board the transports, but after 
disembarking from the train and waiting for some time it was 
found that no transports had been assigned to us. Nothing 
could be done in the matter that night, and we were to be 
left to shift for ourselves as best we could. There were no 
barracks in Port Tampa, and it was too late to go into camp 
even if we had our tentage with us, which we did not. Af- 
ter considerable scouting. Col. Clark discovered that quarters 
might be found in the freight sheds on a long pier, and we 
started for them only to have the entire regiment halted and 
held up for some minutes at the point of the bayonet of a sen- 
tinel of the First Illinois regiment, who was on guard ^ut the 
entrance to the pier and had orders to let no one pass. This 
obstacle was finally surmounted and we marched onto the 
pier and made ourselves comfortable as best we could. 

During that night on the pier the foraging instincts of 
Private " Dido " Hunt of G company became active, and as 
a result he and several members of that company passed the 
long hours of vhe niglit verj^ corafortabl}". The freight sheds 
were divided into sections, and in that allowed to G was a lot 
of freight. Included were two innocent looking barrels, buc 
guided solely by instinct " Dido " decided to investigate their 
contents. With this end in view he spread his roll and blan- 
ket by the side of the barrels, and, l3'ing on his side began to 
cut a hole through the staves of one of them. This was rath- 
er difficult because of the sentries, but it was finally accom- 
plished, and much to the forager's intense satisfaction, the 

48 



insertion of his band through the hole and into the barrel, 
revealed to him that it was tilled with bottled beer. Satisfy- 
ing himself in the only proper manner, that there was no mis- 
take, he acquainted the members of his squad and a few oth- 
ers with his find and soon an impromptu picnic Avas in prog- 
ress. Under the very noses of the sentries, the contents of 
that liarrel of beer disappeared before morning, and to those 
in the secret the night passed very pleasantly. 

The next morning four companies and headquarters of the 
Second were transferred to the transport Oriza])a, the com- 
panies being G, B, K and D. Tlie transport already had on 
board the Eighth and Twenty-second regular infantrj-, and 
as a result our boys were crowded about on the decks and 
compelled to sleep anywhere they could. The officers were 
crowded into the staterooms and their experiences on the 
Orizaba were not much more enjoyable than those of the 
men. Some of the regulars, with a fine contempt for volun- 
teers, did their best to make things as unpleasant for us as 
possible, but the mnjority were of a different disposition and 
aided us all they could, which unfortunately was not much. 

We expected to sail that daj' but did not. The same could 
be said about our expectations and disappointments every 
succeeding day until we did finally sail on the 14th. Before 
that happened we were again transferred, this time to the 
well remembered transport, Knickerbocker. This event hap- 
pened on the 13th and when we found that the Knicker- 
bocker's number was 13, that she had that number of letters 
in her name and that about everybody and everything con- 
nected with her was more or less mixed up with the alleged 
unlucky number some of us began to wonder what would 
happen. Fortunately nothing did, but that was because 
somebody, not connected with the war department, or with 
this world, was looking after us. The third battalion was 
added to our force on board the Knickerbocker, the second 
being on the Seneca and the Manteo. 

f 49 



On the evening of the 13th the 13 hoodoo began to work. 
A steam pipe burst and some of the boj's, thinking a general 
explosion would follow, jumped from the deck to the dock, 
but although there was considerable fuss and excitement no 
one was hurt. That night sleep on the Knickerbocker was 
out of the question, for a gang of negro roustabouts was 
engaged all night in loading provisions onto our steamer and 
their cries, together with the noise of the steam winches pre- 
vented any sleep. On the afternoon of the next day, the 
14th, the steamer finally cast off and started down the har- 
bor in the wake of the other transports. After being tied up 
in Tampa harbor for six long days we were at last at sea and 
bound for Cuba. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

WE HAVE A LOVELY SAIL ON THE PALATIAL KNICKER- 
BOCKER AND REACH CUBA WITHOUT MISHAP. 




2^ 



UR voyage to Cuba on Transport No. 13, unofficially 
known as the Knickerbocker, will long linger in our 
memories. The Knickerbocker was a lovely ship 
but her loveliness was of such a nature that it was 
seldom referred to without a free and unlimited use 
of adjectives in the ratio of more than IG to 1. After a while 
it got to be a case of " Don't speak of her past, boys," and 
we seldom did. The present was bad enough and as for her 
future, all of us had grave doubts concerning it. There was 
a story from apparently authentic sources, that before the 
government, in a moment of temporary aberation, engaged 
the services of the Knickerbocker as a transport, she had 
been engaged in conveying Italian emigrants from New 
York to New Orleans, and her interior condition when we 
boarded her gave conformation of the stories. 

Many words could be written concerning the Knickerbock- 
er and our opinion of her, but as a good sliare of them would 
form language not generally used in the best society, it will 
be perhaps as well to draw the veil of silence over a good part 
of it. 

Her captain's name was Betts and he was an aged individ- 
ual who savored much of the sea and who evidently had 
been the victim of an early or late disappointment, either in 



love or something else, that resulted in souring- him towards 
himself and everybody else. The name of the steward of the 
boat is unknown, but this did not bother the boys much, 
their usual designation of him being " thief "or " robber " or 
an}' term of opprobrium that came hand}". If he was a poor 
man when the Knickerbocker sailed with us from Tampa 
harbor, there was no reason why he could not have returned 
with money enough to start a fair sized bank account, for he 
sold us everything there was to sell, and considerable that he 
had no right to, and he always charged us Klondike prices 
for everything. He was never under suspicion of giving 
away anything, not even himself. Before the voyage was 
half over there came near being a mutiny among the crew 
which had discovered, so they said, that the steward was 
taking the provisions destined for them and selling them to 
such of our boys as had money and had become weary of the 
luxurious and varied fare given us by the government. At 
the same time his extortions had become so burdensome to 
our boys that muttered threats against him were heard and 
but for some of the cooler heads among the soldiers he might 
have been the victim of the vengeance both of the crew and 
the troops. 

There were thirteen staterooms on the boat and into these 
v»^ere crowded 32 officers. The men were " bunked " in the 
hold, and if there was any provision for ventilation other 
than the hatches, no trace was ever found of it. On the first 
night out the men slept on the decks and so were enabled to 
pass the night in considerable comfort, for if the deck planks 
were hard, there was at least some air and the cool sea breeze 
made sleeping possible. But on the second night out there 
came trouble. The surgeon was fearful that the night dews 
would have a bad effect on the men, and had been told so 
much of tlie evil effects of sleeping out in the air in tropical 
latitudes that he believed it best for the men to sleep below 
decks. He pressed his views upon the commanding officer, 



and the result was an order to the officer of the day to allow 
no men to sleep above decks on that or the succeeding nights 
of the voyage. 

Naturally, when this order was communicated to the men, 
there was a protest. There was a decided difference of opin- 
ion between the men and the surgeon as to the evil results 
from sleeping on deck, and the men were inclined to rebel 
against the order. However, Capt. McDonald of B company 
was officer of the day, and no matter what his sympathies 
were, orders were orders. So soon after "taps" had sounded 
he and the guard made a tour of the boat and the sleepers 
were informed that they must retire to the bunks below and 
complete their slumbers. Then there was a howl of remon- 
strance, but it was without avail. The sleepers were rounded 
up and hustled below. In protest against this came all sorts 
of noise from the sleeping quarters. Songs and j'ells, and 
there was much satire in many of the songs, came up from 
below. The surgeons were alluded to as " Horse doctors" 
and " Salts," and one chorus that came floating up through 
the hatches ran something like this : 

" What do they give us for stomach ache ?" 

"Salts." 

"What do they give us for a broken leg ?" 

" Salts." 

' ' What do they give us for rheumatism ?" 

"Salts." 
And so on through a catalogue of all the various diseases in- 
cident to man or animals. 

Finally the noise became so great that Capt. McDonald 
threatened to have the hatches closed, thus destroying the 
last faint chance of obtaining any air. This was met by the 
threat that if the hatches were closed bullets would be fired 
through them, but after a while the noise quieted down and 
the men dropped off to sleep. After that night the order to 
sleep below decks was pretty well obeyed as the reason for it 

53 



begun to be understood by the men and they reahzed that it 
was prompted by a desire for their welfare and not to annoy 
them. 

Not all the boys slept below, however. Emery, More- 
house and Kelly of K had managed to secrete themselves in 
one of the ships boats and made it their sleeping quarters all 
the time of the voyage. As it was covered by a tarpaulin 
they were well protected from the dews or rains, and in any 
case they managed to keep the secret so well that they were 
not molested. 

G company suffered a terrible loss on the day we sailed. 
Private Mandeville, the company cook, had managed to cut 
himself so badly in the arm with a carving knife, during our 
stay at Lakeland, that he had been excused from that duty. 
On our last day at Port Tampa he had obtained shore leave 
and utillized it so well in looking at the wine when it was red, 
or something that had the same effect, that he was in a 
trance when the orders came to leave. So when the Knick- 
erbocker sailed, G was one man short, and after the requisite 
ten days had elapsed Private Mandeville was put on the rolls 
as a deserter. Fortunately for him, it was established on 
our return that he was not technically a deserter, it appear- 
ing that when he woke up he had reported himself to an offi- 
cer in Tampa, and had been assigned to remain with a party 
of the 71st New York which had likewise been left behind. 

Of mascots there were many on board. First of all came 
one James Sargent of Washington, D. C, a young colored 
lad better known as "Snowball." He had come on from 
Washington with some District of Columbia troops and find- 
ing that they were not going immediately to Cuba or for 
some other reason he got on board the Knickerbocker and at- 
tached himself for better or worse to the Second Massachu- 
setts. Any member of the regiment ca?i answer the query 
as to whether it was for better or worse for the Second. 
Then there were James and Willie Turner, two young 

54 



white boys from Tampa who had an unccntrollable desire to 
hie themselves over the seas to Cuba and there end the hves 
of more or less Spaniards. They remained with us until the 
landing on the island and then divorced themselves from the 
Second and attached themselves to two regular regiments. 
Both stood the campaign in far better shape than the older 
men and returned to this country with enlarged views and a 
determination to enlist in the regulars as soon as they were of 
the requisite age. 

G company had two mascots in " Rations " and "Hard- 
tack," dogs of the cur variety. Rations did not last out 
the voyage, her career being cut short by some miscreant 
who threw her overboard one night, much to the indignation 
of the men of the company. 

A predominating feature of the trip across was the excel- 
lent fare provided for the enlisted men by a thoughtful gov- 
ernment. Life at sea on a steady diet of canned beef, 
canned beans and canned tomatoes, hardtack and ship's 
water is not conducive to embonpoint or a cheerful and 
contented disposition. In the hurry of fitting up the Knick- 
erbocker as a transport no provision had been made to do any 
cooking for the men, even if there had been anything to 
cook, and there was not even a place where coiBFee, of which 
we had plenty, could be made. Finally after a couple of 
days out some vigorous "kicking" resulted in the company 
cooks being grudgingly allowed the use of the galley for 
coffee making purposes but with the poor water the coffee 
was hardly equal to that furnished at Delmonico's or other 
places where most of us had been in the habit of eating. 

As to the water an entire chapter could not do justice to its 
qualities. There were two brands on board, one being 
Mississippi river fluid with an equal quantity of mud of a 
rich brown color in suspension. After obtaining a cupful of 
this mixture it was necessary to allow it to stand for some 
little time in order that the mud might settle to the bottom. 

55 



With all its faults, however, this water when strained was 
sweet and drinking it did not cause remorse. 

The other water had been obtained in Tampa and it was 
called water principally because it was contained in the water 
tanks. It did not look much like water and tasted still less 
like it. But that and the muddy fluid was all there was to 
drink and we had to make the best of it. 

One day when the canned beef was even worse than usual 
and the canned beans greasier than ever there came to the 
vision of certain members of the Springfield companies, who 
happened to be looking through the skylight into the steward's 
pantry, a delicious looking piece of cold roast beef hanging 
peacefully from a hook and destined for the officers' lunch. 
Constant looking at that well cooked piece of fresh beef begot 
longing, then covetousness and desire. By a silent but unan- 
imous vote it was decided that such a nice piece of beef 
would be better appreciated by hungry enlisted men than by 
the officers who had been getting more or less of it, at their 
own expense, during the voyage and the next thing was the 
informal appointment of a committee on ways and means to 
procure the aforesaid beef. An examination revealed that 
the skylight could be opened from the deck and further that a 
boathook was handy. These facts ascertained, a watch was 
kept until the occupant of the pantry had gone out for a mo- 
ment, the skylight was quickly opened, the boathook manipu- 
lated and the piece of beef lifted to the deck. The cook 
re-entered the pantry just as the beef was disappearing 
through the skylight and tlie expression on his face haunted 
the participants in the " Disappearing beef mystery" for 
many hours. 

In one corner of the upper deck that afternoon were a 
number of men upon whose faces rested an expression ot per- 
fect contentment and whose hands could occasional!}' be seen 
to wander over their stomachs as if to assure themselves that 
cold roast beef was a suitable article of diet for a voyage in 

56 



thb tropios. As no ill effects were recorded the question was 
settled satisfactoril}- to them but it is also on record that no 
more tempting bits were hung within reach of open skylights 
or wandering boathooks. It is also a matter of history that 
the officers' luncli that day was rather a poor meal and there 
was no cold meat on the table. But Bates didn't care. 

How the Knickerbocker ever escaped being run down or 
colliding with some other of the vessels of the fleet is one of 
the mysteries of the deep. Not less than half a dozen narrow 
escapes are on record in the memory of the men who were on 
her and on one or two occasions the escapes were so narrow 
that a few feet either way would have done the job for the 
Knickerbocker and her crew and passengers. On one occa- 
sion another boat came so near to running us down that half 
the men were ready to jump into the sea but the other boat 
finally sheered off by the closest margin. The "Thirteen" 
hoodoo came near to finding believers among those on the 
Knickerbocker before Cuba was reached. 

Bathing hours were established on board after the first day 
out, each company being allowed an hour aft each day dur- 
ing which the men could "turn the hose" on each other to 
their heart's content. As, however, there was but little salt 
water soap on board and that httle was in the hands of the 
steward to be retailed by him at robber baron prices these 
attempts at cleanliness proved rather abortive, for it was 
soon ascertained that ordinary soap does not lather in salt 
water and the effects of the bath under these circumstances 
was worse if anything than in Lakeland. 

So the days went on until on the :20th we saw the low out- 
line of the Cuban coast late in the afternoon and at the same 
time saw the flashes and heard the dull reports of big guns 
which told us that the navy was having a brush with the foe. 
It lasted only for a few moments, but this was the first time 
we had heard guns fired in actual conflict and although we 
could see but little the rigging was crowded until long after 

g 57 



the guns were silent. We learned afterwards that it was 
onl}- a little brush some of the blockading fleet were having 
with a fort near Santiago but it was mighty interesting to us 
while it lasted. All the next day the fleet cruised about 
apparently aimlessly and that night the Knickerbocker " got 
lost." How it ever happened no one knows excepting the 
captain of the ship and ho never volunteered an explanation 
so far as we knew. It was expected that we would land that 
day but just before dusk a dispatch boat raced up alongside 
and without stopping speed an officer on board shouted 
through a megaphone an order to Captain Betts to continue 
"cruising to the northwest, keeping in touch with the fleet.' 
So off we cruised to the northwest but the rest of the order 
as to keeping in touch with the fleet was not carried out. 
The next morning when we woke up we found the Knicker- 
bocker all alone with not a sail or line of smoke on the 
horizon and with apparently no one knowing where we were 
or what we were doing there. Inquiries of Captain Betts 
met with gruff and non-committal response and it was not 
until just before noon that we came in sight of the rest of the 
fleet off Daiquiri and learned that the landing had begun and 
that had we got there when we should the Second would have 
been the first regiment to land on Cuban soil. Then things 
were said conceniing Capt. Betts and his boat that would not 
look nice in print. 

Over on our left the big guns of the warships were pound- 
ing away at the fortifications while the small caliber guns 
were sending in a storm of bullets into the woods and hills 
along the shore, clearing them out before the landing. From 
the warships to the transports danced an almost steadj" 
stream of launches and small boats to assist in the landing. 
The invasion of Cuba by the Fifth army corps was a fact at 
last. 




CHAPTER IX. 

WHEREIN IS NARRATED OUR LANDING AT DAIQUIRI AND 
SOME THINGS WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY HAPPENED. 

T was not until well along in the afternoon that the 
Knickerbocker's passengers started for the shore and 
^?t^ as it was not all of them landed that day, the 
^^^ third battalion being left on board until the 23d. 
For many long hours the steamer backed and 
filled together with the other vessels and the men, loaded 
down as they were with their field equipment and waiting for 
the word to disembark, found plenty of time to enjoy the 
stirring scenes about them. There were the grim painted war 
ships, all ready for business and their hustling " Jackies" 
working hke beavers to aid in landing us "doughboys." 
Between the big ships danced the saucy torpedo boats and 
destroyers and quick puflQng launches having in tow strings 
of small boats, these being our means of transportation from 
the ship to the land. In front were the frowning hills which 
guarded the coast line and from which an enemy of any de- 
termination could have easily prevented our landing. On a 
plateau directly in front of us was the village of Daiquiri, 
abandoned that morning by the Spaniards after a brief bom- 
bardment by our fleet, while a force of Cubans got along in 
time to worry the retreating enemy. A portion of the vil- 
lage and the works were still smoldering, havhig been fired 
by the Spaniards before they left the place. 



down sufficiently to tell us that it was " hot enough to boil 
eggs in." Sure enough it was. The pipes ran along on 
the surface of the ground and the sun did the re«t. 

^^ Mucho calienie agita,^^ commented a ragged "Cubana'' 
as he noticed our disgusted looks and one or two who under- 
stood enough Spanish to know what he meant agreed with 
him. Then he grinned as only a Cuban can and pointing to 
the plateau where the main part of the village was located, 
said: '' Agua fresca," which being interpreted meant "cold 
water." So off we started for the plateau and there found 
several barrels of fresh water which was fairly cool. Among 
the "shacks" which composed the town we found a "brigade" 
of the "brave" Cuban soldiers. They were having a good 
time recounting their exploits and staring at ^^los Americano 
soldados ^^ whose rough and ready manners were not always 
to their liking. A few of their field officers were almost 
white in color and decently uniformed but the majority, like 
the men, were black and distinguished from their men by 
small silver stars worn on a strap across the breast, three 
being the insignia of a captain, two of a first lieutenant and 
one of a second lieutenant. 

A point of much interest to our men were the burning 
shops, which the Spaniards had fired before retreating. On 
the railwa}' track Avas a locomotive and some cars which had 
been disabled and burnt. Additional interest was caused by 
the pursuit, capture and summary execution of an unwise 
pig by a mob of our men and Cubans. 

All our battalions having landed, we began our march 
into the interior just before 5 o'clock. The brigade com- 
mander, Col. Van Horn of the 22d was injured on the 22d 
and the command was temporarily assigned to our com- 
mander, Col. Clark. As Lieut. Col. Shumway was left on 
the boat, Major Southmayd took command of the two bat- 
talions on shore. We marched some five miles toward San- 
tiago, across country, the march being along a narrow and 

G2 



rough trail and halted for the night by the side of the trail. 
On our way we had to ford a stream and began to experi- 
ence some of the realities of war. 

That night we had to face our first real experience at go- 
ing hungry. It had been understood that we were not to go 
inland that day and that rations would be sent us from the 
ships so no orders to take any with us had been issued. A 
few of the men had the foresight to stuff whatever food 
they could into their haversacks but the majority had noth- 
ing and went supperless to bed. The regulars bivouacked 
near us were in the same fix and there was much grumbling. 
However, officers and men were in the same box and there 
was nothing to do but make the best of it. 

At dawn the next morning we rolled up our outfits and 
started off again. Our method of packing up was expedi- 
tious. Each man carried one half of a shelter tent, better 
known to us as a "dog" tent and later "pup "tents because 
of their small size, they being just about large enough for 
two men to crawl into. The half shelter was laid on the 
ground and upon it was spread first the rubber blanket and 
then the woolen one. Our canvas blouses and whatever 
personal property we had were then placed on top, together 
with the tent sticks and pegs and the whole neatly rolled. 
The ends were secured with the tent rope and the roll thus 
formed was carried over the left shoulder, the ends hanging 
down on the right side of the body. Thus equipped, with 
our full canteens and empty haversacks, we took to the road 
again after our first night on Cuban soil. Details of men 
from each company were sent back to the ships after rations 
and we started for Siboney. An early morning march on 
an empty stomach is not conducive to an appreciation of 
scenery be it ever so grand, but some of us enjoyed it. All 
about us were hills and mountains, their peaks clear cut 
against the blue sky, while from the tops of two or three 
rose thin smoke columns which we supposed were from sig- 

63 



nal fires. Our trail led us through valleys and over hills 
until finallj" about 11 o'clock we struck upon something that 
looked like a road and on which we were enabled to march 
for a short time in columns of fours. Anyone who had 
ever seen the Second on a parade in Springfield or Worces- 
ter or at camp and seen us straggling along the Cuban trail 
in single file would have laughed outright at the contrast, as 
we were forced to ourselves. Later on we looked even 
worse. 

That day the ' ' stripping " process, familiar to all armies 
in a campaign, was begun. Two companies of the second 
battalion, E and M had "toted" their knapsacks with them 
from their transports and about the second day out they 
were sorry for so doing. Hardly had we been an hour on 
the march that morning before the knapsacks began to dis- 
appear and the troops which followed us soon knew that the 
Second Massachusetts had passed by, meeting scores of 
Cubans with E and M company knapsacks on their backs 
and sweltering but happy in the closely buttoned cape over- 
coats discarded with the knapsacks. Fortunately our knap- 
sacks and all our heavy baggage had been left on board ship 
but it was not long before we found our rolls becoming 
heavy and burdensome. Pretty soon a man would quietly 
drop out of the line, off would come his roll which was 
quickly opened, and some article he fancied he could do 
without, thrown into the bush. Then the roll would be fas- 
tened together, thrown over the owner's shoulder and he 
would hasten to rejoin his company. A few moments after- 
ward a ragged Cubano might be seen poking around about 
the bushes and next the discarded articles would be in his 
possession. 

And it may as well be told here that it was not only the 
Second Massachusetts that strewed more or less valuable or 
necessary articles along the trails. The regulars were with 
us in that, and although, as a rule, they had brought less 

64 



baggage ashore with them than we did, they soon found it 
convenient to get rid of much of it. The}' even discarded 
their blankets, some cutting them in half and retaining onl}- 
one part, while we stuck to the blankets and sacrificed other 
things. We never were sorry either that we kept our blan- 
kets, for if the days were intensely warm, the nights were 
cool and coverings came in handy. 

That afternoon, soon after we had struck the short piece of 
good road referred to cibove, we left it and following a nar- 
row trail debouched into some woods and after passing 
through them, found ourselves in a cocoanut grove. There 
were hundreds of the trees all laden with the fruit, and a 
halt was ordered, arms stacked and we were allowed to rest. 
About this time we were decidedly hungrv, our breakfast 
having consisted of nothing and our dinner menu being the 
same. The cocoanuts looked inviting but they were far 
awa}' at the tops of the branchless trees. But hunger is a 
spur and it was not long before some daring ones were "shin- 
ning up " the trees and down came the fruit. Alas! It was 
a disappointment to hopes of a satisfactor}' meal. After the 
hard, green outer husks had been chopped away it was found 
that the cocoanuts were green, and a copious flow of soldier 
language greeted this discovery. But it was not long before 
it was discovered that the milk of the green cocoanut makes a 
very palatable drink, and in a few moments we all became 
milkmen. 

The march resumed we struck into another piece of woods, 
forded a brook or two, ( we had b}- this time gotten over 
minding our feet being wet,) and found ourselves once mcjre 
on a narrow and rough trail. On our way through the 
woods we saw. stretched along a rough fence, the body of a 
huge snake of the constrictor variety, not long killed and 
looking decidedl}^ fierce. The reptile was about eight feet 
long and as thick as a man's arm. A little further along we 
saw something which indicated that we were in a rough 

li 65 



country. This was a butnan skull nailed on top of a post 
and grinning at us with empty eye sockets and toothless 
jaws, as we passed. 

A little further along and we struck another narrow stream 
which, of course, had to be forded, and up a bill, just beyond 
that we came to a railroad station and the track. Here were 
some of our advance guard, men of the Eighth regulars who 
informed us that Siboney was "just 'round the corner," as 
one of them put it, and sure enough after a few moments 
more of the " Weary Willie " act, we came to a collection of 
" shacks," and realized that we were in Siboney. Now that 
word ' ' Siboney " means much to us because it reminds us 
that ihere we ate, a fact sufficiently momentous on that day 
to linger long in our memories. 

Now as to the methods of our eating. It was only a short 
time before our arrival that the Spaniards had evacuated 
Sibouey after firing a few shots at our advance guard and 
the natives, who had "jumped the town" when the Span- 
iards told them there was going to be a big battle in \vhich 
they were going to annihilate the "pigs of Yanquis," were 
just beginning to come back. We were ordered to camp on a 
low piece of ground on one side of the railroad embankment 
and after putting up our " pup " tents a few hungry ones 
went into the town to see what could be seen and incidentally 
to acquire what there was to acquire in the commissary' line. 
They were successful in the latter. The natives were glad to 
see them and freely gave of what little they had. This 
wasn't much but there was some rice and some queer looking 
but good tasting messes of which our men were freely invited 
to partake. In one house in particular there were two aged 
women who busied themselves for hours cooking rice and 
other dishes for our men and who at first would not accept 
anything in payment. Finally it was forced upon them and 
before evening there was more silver money in that poor 
"shack" than had probably been the case for many a day. 

66 



All through the village it was the same and the hospitality 
we received at Siboney did much to change for a time the 
unfavorable opinion we had formed of the Cubans. 

Not only was there food but drink. There was cool water 
in all the houses and there was also " bino," a sour Cuban 
wine like claret and some fiery " rou " or rum which brought 
tears to the eyes of more than one man who thought he was 
spirit proof. All that afternoon we mingled freely with the 
people, looked all through the town, examined with interest 
the Spanish block houses and some of us went in surf bath- 
ing on the pretty little beach in front of the town. 

Late that afternoon the third battalion came up and about 
the same time the details which had been sent back for ra- 
tions, made their appearance with about enough provisions to 
whet our appetite, they having found the task of lugging 
supplies for a company, nearly ten miles, beyond their 
strength. 



CHAPTER X. 

IN WHICH IS TO BE FOUND THE TALE OF " CRAB HOL- 
LOW " AND SOME OTHER THINGS. 

!^fc]^|rf|^HEN we retired to our luxurious couches that night 
t^i Wl °^ June 23d, most of us, excepting the guards, an- 
•i^*;^P^ ticipated sleep, but we httle recked what that night 
had in store for us. As told before, our camp was 
pitched on a low piece of ground and among a lot 
of sparse bushes. We did not know until the next day that 
the camping ground was an old burial place, and we were al- 
so not well enough up in the natural history of things Cuban 
to understand that if there is any one place the daintj^ land 
crab prefers for its habitat it is a cemetery and this prefer- 
ence rests upon a purely gastronomic basis. The land crab 
and the vulture are the great scavengers of Cuba and while 
the latter disposes of anything eatable left above ground the 
land crab looks after bodies or anything else placed under 
ground. In the afternoon we had noticed the holes of the 
land crabs but paid little attention to them, and only saw 
a few of the crustaceans, but at night we made their acquain- 
tance at close quarters. We were pretty well fagged out 
with the heat and the marching, and this, with the strange 
sensation of having something to eat in our stomachs, tended 
to drowsiness. But hardly had we got settled in our tents 
before there were strange rustlings and noises and then the 
sensation of something crawling. There were some quick 



arisings and the sound of matches hastily struck and then 
exclamations and profanity. In some of the companies there 
was hardly a tent that had not been pitched over one or more 
land crab holes and the oocupants of these had begun an in- 
vestigation. Crawling over the sleepers usually resulted in 
awakening them and then came the exclamations, the illumi- 
nation by the matches and the pursuit and slaughter of the 
visitors. The land crab is not an aggressive animal towards 
man and the greeting tendered Inm usually resulted in his 
scuttling for his hole. Not always did he reach there, for 
many fell victims to ramrods, clubs and other weapons. 
One able bodied crab was caught in the act of backing into 
his hole with a stocking in his claws, and yielded up his life 
for his rapacity. It may have been that he intended to eat 
the stocking, and had he done so his fate would have been 
the same anyway. The crabs had a pleasant trick that night 
of crawling half way up the outside of the tents and then 
losing their hold and dropping to the ground. That was bad 
enough as a deterrent to sleep, but it was not all. In the 
afternoon some I company men had repaired a locomotive 
disabled by the Spaniards, and kept running it up and down 
the tracks, to an accompaniment of bell and whistle, until a 
late hour. 

Bright and earl}' the next morning we were up and as on 
the day before looking for grub. Rations were still "shy" 
and once more we had recourse to our friends the Siboney- 
ians who gave us what they could, which was not much, as 
their own supplies were running low. 

Meanwhile the remainder of the transports had come to 
Siboney and were landing the rest of the expedition. They 
had a little different method of doing it than at Daiquiri. 
The boats would be filled with men and towed in as near 
shore as possible when the men would have to jump out and 
wade ashore. Some of them didn't like getting their feet 
wet but they had to just the same. 

69 



It was some little time before noon when we heard firing 
from over the hills and learned that the cavalry brigade had 
gone on a reconnoisance in force in that direction. It was 
only a short time afterwards when we saw the first wounded 
begin to come down the trail and learned that they had found 
the enem}' in force at Las Guasimas and had quite a go with 
him. The First and Tenth United States cavalry, our old 
neighbors at Lakeland, and the Rough Riders were engaged 
and from all accounts were having a warm time. Col. Clark 
of the Second was acting as commander of our brigade and 
receiving orders from Gen. Lawton to reinforce the cavalry, 
left for the scene with the Eighth and Twenty-second Infan- 
try. They arrived there just as the Spaniards were running 
and finding nothing for them to do returned to Siboney. 

One of the largest buildings in the town had been con- 
verted into a temporary hospital and it was soon filled with 
the wounded. Our regimental surgeons, Drs. Bowen, Gates 
and Hitchcock were pressed into service and rendered valu- 
able aid. That hospital was our first introduction to some of 
the grim realities of war but the boys stood it well and were 
anxious to get to the front as quickly as possible. One of the 
warships with the transports added to the excitement by 
shelling the woods on top of a point near us and we began to 
conclude it would be our turn next. 

But it was not long before our thoughts were turned from 
the vision of great deeds in battle to a more prosaic but neces- 
sar}'^ matter. A lot of rations had been landed and soon we 
were revelling in such delicacies as hardtack, "sowbelly" 
bacon, coffee, canned beef (?) and canned tomatoes. Orders 
were issued for each man to take four da3's' rations but our 
haversack capacity was not equal to this and we packed all 
we could into our rolls. Even then we could not take all the 
issue and what was left we gave to our friends, the people of 
Siboney, who gladly accepted what we didn't want. The 
issue was hardly begun before Col. Clark gave us orders to 

70 



move and off we started about 4.30 in the afternoon. We 
had not gone far in the direction of Las Guasimas before we 
came to the conclusion that the commissary department of 
the army had at least one genius who deserved a medal and 
some other things. About half the issue of tomatoes was in 
gallon cans and it was planned to have one man carry them 
a short distance and then let another sharer of the can relieve 
him. But our route lay up hill and we hit up a lively pace 
so that it was not long before there was a "kick" about the 
tomatoes. The ending of the kick in every case was a noise 
which indicated that the can had landed in the bushes and 
when tired out, we reached our bivouac place that night 
there were but few gallon cans of tomatoes left with the 
outfit. 

Meanwhile we kept steadily climbing up into the hills, 
finding rough footing and stumbling over rocks and every- 
thing else in the darkness until about 9 o'olock wo reached 
the scene of the battle and found the First and Tenth cavalry 
bur,ying their dead. We passed on in silence but we did 
quite a bit of thinking. A short distance further up we 
halted on a level bit of ground by the side of the Rough 
Riders and after making our simple preparations for our 
night's bivouac heard their tale of the fight. Our cooking 
fires were soon going and we not only heard Roosevelt's men 
tell their experiences and gave them our sympathy, but what 
they wanted more at that particular time, we gave them food, 
sharing our rations with them. One New York paper, in its 
story of the Las Guasimas fight spoke of the Second Massa- 
chusetts as having "supported the Rough Riders," but so far 
as we knew our only support to them was that night when 
we certainly did support them with our rations. 

When we landed in Cuba a detail of men from each com- 
pany was left on the boats to look after property and as we 
learned afterwards they heard all sorts of stories about what 
happened to us that day. But all the stories agreed that the 

71 



Second had been having a bad time of it and that our loss 
was heavy. One New York newspaper man had been given 
a circumstantial account of our regiment having been sur- 
rounded by the Spaniards and of our cutting our Avay out 
with a heavy loss in officers and men and was so impressed 
by it that he wrote a very pretty story which he was on the 
point of having cabled to his paper when a brother corres- 
pondent happened along and convinced him that as we were 
at Siboney until the action was all over we could hardly have 
been so badl}' cut up. So the story was not cabled but it 
was a narro w escape . 

When we left Siboney that afternoon G compauj^ was left 
behind to assist in unloading supplies for our brigade, one 
company from each regiment being detailed for that purpose. 
They left Siboney earl}' the next morning and reached us just 
as we were preparing to resume the march again. 

Our next camping place was on a plateau near where had 
once been a sizeable plantation and which was only a short 
distance from Las Guasimas. Here we remained two days 
taking life easj' before we again took up the march. On the 
27th we reached Sevilla and there remained vmtil late in the 
the afternoon of June 30th. During our stay in Sevilla 
occurred another food shortage and also the great tobacco 
famine. Rations were hard to get and so were medicines. 
There was so much feeling over the delinquency in getting 
our supplies up to us that a meeting of the company com- 
manders was held and a committee appointed to wait upon 
Col. Clark to see if something could not be done. The out- 
come of all the talk was the loan of some of the horses of 
the field and staff to a detail which, in charge of Lieut. 
Vesper of B, went back to the ships and obtained a small 
supply of provisions and tobacco. The cause of the failure 
to keep the troops supplied lay with the quartermaster's de- 
partment which had apparently broken down utterly, for 
though there were tons upon tons of supplies already lauded 

72 



at Siboney there was not enough of pack trains or other 
means of transportation to get them up to us. We all fared 
alike at this time, officers and men, regulars and volunteers, 
and our brigade, the leading one in the arm}-, had been hus- 
tled along so fast that it was difficult under any circum- 
stances to get supplies to us owing to the distance and the 
condition of the rcwids. 

On the 28th the new commander of the brigade. Gen. 
Ludlow, reported and relieved Col. Clark who resumed com- 
mand of the Second. Lieut, Harry Parkhurst of K who 
had been acting as aide-de-camp on the brigade staff was 
also relieved and rejoined his company. 

The tobacco famine was relieved somewhat by some of the 
weed brought from the ships by the various "relief expedi- 
tions" and also by the arrivaj of the details which had been 
left on the boats and the majority of the members of which 
had gained permission to rejoin us as soon as they heard the 
stories about our having been in action and losing heavil}'. 
The horse detail also came up and brought to Adjutant Haw- 
kins the news that his horse had been drowned while being 
got ashore. As the chaplain's horse and one owned by Hos- 
pital Steward Fortier had been stolen while in Tampa by 
"Billy the Hostler " there was a shyness of horses around 
headquarters. 

While in Tampa Private T. C. Boone of K had been trans- 
ferred to the signal corps with the rank of sergeant and 
afterwards became a member of the war balloon squad. On 
the afternoon of the 20th we saw the famous balloon for the 
first time and watched it with interest as it rose above the 
trees near our camp. We understood that Boone was one of 
the men in the car and for that reason the balloon had more 
than usual interest for us of the Springfield companies. The 
next afternoon another ascension was made and again we 
watched the "big gas bag" and speculated in a i:)essimistic 

i 73 



vein upon its successful use. Our doubts as to its usefulness 
turned out to be correct. 

On the '28th the good news was announced that we could 
send mail home that afternoon and there was great scram - 
bHng for pens, pencils, paper and envelopes. It was our first 
opportunity since we had landed to send letters and that it 
was taken advantage of the big mail bags that left head- 
quarters late that afternoon for division headquarters attested. 

Probably the condition in which about all our letters 
reached the folks at home was fully explained soon after 
our return, but it will bear retelling. When we landed 
most of us had paper, envelopes and stamps. But these 
were carried either in the haversacks or rolls and with the 
heat the envelope flaps became stuck together, likewise the 
stamps and paper became dirty. All were about in the same 
condition, so in order to get a letter into an envolope it was 
necessary to slit the latter at one end, insert the letter and 
then sew up the envelojje. As most of the sewing was done 
with black thread and the envelopes were not especially clean 
the effect upon the good folks at home must have been rather 
startling, especiall}' when the letters came without stamps, as 
they usually did. In place of stamps the government allowed 
the use of the words, ' ' Soldier's Letter " in one corner of the 
envelope and when indorsed by an officer was allowed to go 
through. 

From our camp we could see a portion of the fortifications 
of Santiago and especially two large buildings which we 
were informed were barracks that had been transformed into 
hospitals and over which we could with xleld glasses see a 
number uf Red Cross flags floating. We heard many weird 
tales as to what the Spaniards had done and would do and 
the stories, mainly of Cubans, as to how many troops were 
in the city, varied all the way from 10,000 to 40,000. On the 
29th the much talked of "army "of Gen. Calixto Garcia 
arrived and it was a motley looking outfit, mostly black in 



color and of great variety, principally of lack of quantity, as 
to uniforms but fairly well supplied with arms aud ammuni- 
tion. The knowledge of English of the component parts of 
Garcia's forces was about e<iual to out knowledge of Spiinish, 
but considerable interchange of ideas was effected, princi- 
pally by signs. One or two of the warriors would stroll into 
camp and after standing around a bit with the inevitable 
Cuban grin would exclnim, ' Santiago, bourn, bourn?" at 
the same time pointing to the city. We could do no less 
than to assure them there would be plenty of '"''bourn, bourn" 
and that when it happened Santiago would be "on the bum." 
The ice thus broken, the Cuban's machete was examined and 
the wearer induced to give an exhibition of its use both as a 
weapon and a hand3' tool for manj* purposes. Generally be- 
fore they left camp they would " borrow " some "tobac" and 
if the}' could obtain some hardtack or bacon they went away 
happy. Sometimes they brought us some mangoes or "mon- 
key plums " and then would follow some great bartering. 
The surgeons in an excess of zeal had warned us against the 
mango but we pinned our faith to the Cubans' declaration 
that if one didn't eat mangoes and drink liquor on the same 
day no evil effects would result from the free and unlimited 
use of the fruit. The mango tastes nice but it is an acquired 
art to know how to eat it without getting three-quarters of it 
over one's face and clothing. Still it came in hand}' when 
our rations were short, which was about always and we were 
not over fastidious as to how we ate anything in those days. 




CHAPTER XI. 

WHICH TELLS HOW WE GOT READY TO TAKE THE TOWN 
OF EL CANEY. 

T was shortly after noon on June 30th that the 
"Jo Jo " department began to circulate the news that 
^ we were to move on to Santiago that da}'' or the next 
~^^p^ and for the first and only time during the campaign 
the "JoJo" happened to be right. Orders had 
arrived for a forward movement and although we had no idea 
of where we were to go or what we were to do there was a 
feeling of satisfaction that we were to go somewhere and do 
something. 

Of even more importance than the orders at this particular 
time was the arrival of a well laden pack train with rations. 
When the mules were first discerned coming " up the pike" 
it was supposed they were carrying ammunition as the last 
two or three pack trains had brought httle excepting car- 
tridges. But this time we were agreeably disappointed. 
There was a plentiful supply of "sowbelly," hardtack and 
coffee and it was not long before it was being distributed. 
The tobacco famine had temporarily been relieved and now 
we actually had food. So we were pretty well satisfied with 
life after all. 

How it rained that day ! It came on in the forenoon and 
in less than ten minutes everybody and everything was satu- 
rated. It was a straight downpour of water and rubber 



blankets were of little use in keeping us or our belongings 
dry so we simply got wet and stayed in that condition until 
the sun came out and did his best to dry things up quickly. 

Early that afternoon we saw the war balloon again and 
watched it with much interest, everybody "rubbernecking" 
at the unwonted sight. In the car, although we did not 
know it at the time, was poor "Tom" Boone of "K"and 
those of us who knew him little recked what the next day 
would bring to him. For that matter there was considerable 
uncertainty as to what the future meant for any of us. We 
heard late in the day that we were sure to get into action 
on the next da}' but somehow the knowledge did not appear 
to worry but a few of the boys. The happenings of the cam- 
paign thus far had done much to produce a feeling of con- 
tempt for the fighting abilities of the Spaniards and seme of 
us figured that all we would have to do was to make a 
demonstration in force and the enemy would then either 
retreat or surrender. How mistaken we were the next day 
was to tell us. 

It was late in the afternoon when the advance on El 
Caney by Lawton's division was begun and it was not until 
almost G o'clock that our brigade, which being one of the 
nearest to the city, was among the last to get away, made 
its start. Most of us will never forget that night march. 
The rain of the morning had resulted as usual in making 
whatever roads and trails there were into very fine speci- 
mens of mud puddles and unfortunately for ue the greater 
part of our way led up hill. "When the rations were issued 
in the afternoon the companj' commissaries had not time to 
complete their distribution and thinking that the march was 
to be a short and easy one those of G and B concluded that 
it would be better to have some of the provisions carried in 
bulk rather than to take time to divide and issue them. So a 
number of men from each company were detailed to carry a 
couple of slabs of ' ' sowbelly " and others the remaining 

77 



boxes of hardtack. This worked very nicely for a time 
until it became dark and the hill climbing act began. Then 
there was trouble. The trail up the hill was about as slip- 
pery as any we ever marched along in Cuba and it was 
moreover filled with rocks and boulders over which climb- 
ing was not the easiest matter in the world. Before thej" 
had gone very far the ration detail began to think that 
something was wrong and these thoughts developed into a 
certainty as we still kept climbing along up a pretty steep 
ascent and the boxes of hardtack and the sides of bacon (?) 
began to grow heavier and heavier and more difficult to 
handle. For convenience in packing them along with us 
both Sergeants Scully and Bearse had nailed long handles 
onto the hardtack boxes and had made a somewhat similar 
arrangement to carry the bacon but the carriers had not 
gone far before the handles worked off and after awhile it 
got to be a question of dropping the rations or killing the 
men trying to carry them. It was pitch dark, the trail was 
difficult and besides all the men had a pretty fair supply of 
"grub "in their haversacks, so a silent and informal vote 
was taken and the bulk of the extra rations were quietly 
left by the side of the trail. Meanwhile the rest of us 
were not having so much of a picnic even though we were 
not encumbered with extra baggage. The mud made 
marching difficult even along the road which led from the 
camp. Soon we left this and came to the San Juan 
creek, passing a company of soldiers who were actually 
bathing. Our sur])rise at this unwonted scene was not 
allowed to last long, for the trail lay on the other side of the 
creek and we were obliged to ford it. This was not by any 
means as easy as it looked. The banks were high and slip- 
pery with mud and the water was over our legging tops but 
in we plunged and scrambled across to the other side and 
into a thick piece of woods, shaking the water from our- 
selves dog fashion as we again took up the march. Hardly 

78 



had we got across before low spoken orders came down the 
hne for every man to keep silent and to march as quietly as 
possible. This made us realize that something was on and 
the orders were pretty well obeyed although all the orders 
in the world could not keep some of the men from saying 
things concerning the trail and night marches in general. 

In ragged fashion we stumbled along through the woods, 
the onlj' military regulation we followed out being that of 
keeping well "closed up." We simply had to do this be- 
cause it was so dark and the trail so narrow and rough that 
unless one kept very "close tabs " on his file leader it was a 
question of getting lost and going it alone and this none of 
us desired to do. 

We had not gone far before we came to another creek or 
it may have been another turn of the first one, we did not 
know or care which, but into it we plunged and again got 
our feet wet and muddy. Hardly had we gaintd the other 
side before we came across a forlorn looking figure in a bit 
of a clearing by the side of the trail and a voice with an 
unmistakeable western twang inquired if we were tlie 
Hough Riders. The owner of the voice was informed that 
we were the Second Massachusetts and he then remarked, 
" Well, you're a pretty good outfit and I guess I'll go along 
with you." He then announced himself as the chaplain of 
the Rough Riders and said he had left camp a little behind 
his regiment and had not only been unable to catch up with it 
but could obtain no trace of its whereabouts. We told him his 
regiment had probably gone over towards San Juan hill, it 
being in anothor division than ours and he then allowed that 
he would not bother looking further that night but would 
accompany us. We made no objection and he trudged along 
with us for the rest of the way. 

Soon after meeting the chaplain we forded creek number 
three but by this time we were used to getting our feet wet 
and did not mind it much. After fording this stream, a 

79 



narrow but rather deep one, we began to get up in the world 
and soon discovered that we were on the up grade. For 
nearly two hours more we stumbled along, sometimes pass- 
ing through thick woods and again along open countr}'. The 
moon came out faintly after a bit, but her light did little 
towards revealing to us the difficulties of the route we were 
following. We had a couple of brief halts but it was not 
until a little after 10 o'clock that a whispered command to 
halt was given and we were informed that we were to go into 
bivouac by the road side. 

Following this order came a renewal of the previous ones 
against making any noise and we were also given strict 
orders not to make a fire or even strike a match. These pre- 
cautions we assumed were to keep our presence unknown to 
the enemy and although most of us wanted the comfort of a 
pipe or cigarette after our fatiguing march yet we refrained. 
There was of course much speculation over the why and 
wherefore of the night march and the orders against noise or 
fire but the generally accepted assumption was that we had 
stolen a march upon the Spaniards, had penetrated their lines, 
and in the morning would march into Santiago before the 
astonished enemy had partaken of his morning coffee. This 
surmise was given oolor by the fact that from where we were 
we could look down into the city, its locality being indicated 
bj' the lights from the governor general's palace and other 
official buildings. We were on a plateau that overlooked the 
citj', and so far as we could judge, our presence was abso- 
lutely undetected. Santiago appeared to be sleeping peace- 
fully and looked for all the world like some small New Eng- 
land city which is locked up every night at 8.30 or 9 and 
whose residents then go to bed and staj' there until morning. 

For thinking such thoughts we were indeed what are known 
in the vernacular as "good things," for as it transpired after- 
wards the Spaniards knew all about where we were and 
where we were going. Had it not been for their traditional 

80 




O 

o 

O 



< 

Q 

W 
O 



policy of "manana" the}' might have sallied out and done 
several things to ua, but they preferred to wait until the next 
day, which was a luoky thing for us. 

Sleep comes quickl}^ to a soldier in bivouac and soon after 
our halt every one of us, with the exception of the guards, 
was asleep. No attempt was made to put up the shelter 
tents, but we contented ourselves with unrolling them, 
spreading them upon the grass and wrapping ourselves up in 
our blankets. A few of us lunched upon hardtack and raw 
bacon washed down with muddy water from the canteens 
but the majority of the bo^'s were too tired to think even of 
eating. 

That night the premonition came to some of our boys that 
the morrow would be their last day on earth and although we 
tried to laugh it out of them they stuck to it that their fate 
was settled. One of these boys was Frank Moody of K and 
so strongly was he impressed with the feeling of coming dis- 
aster to himself that he made one of his comrades take his 
watch and promise to deliver his farewell message to the loved 
ones at home. 

Tired soldiers sleep soundly and it seemed as if we had 
only slumbered a few moments when we were awakened, 
not by the usual bugle call, but by low whispers from the 
officers and non-commissioned officers. It was hardly dawn 
and a thin mist concealed from view the city below us and 
the hills that surrounded us. Little by little the mist disap- 
peared before the advance of the sun and when dawn came 
the scene was so impressive in its grandeur that even the 
most careless amongst us felt it. Just below us VA^as Santiago 
still wrapped in the morning mist and apparently- still un- 
aroused from its slumbers. All about us were frowning hills 
and mountains and in the distance we could see the harbor 
outside of which sat the grim war ships of the United States 
waiting for their prey to come out and be eaten up. Not a 
sign from the enemy and we wondered. 

J 81 



But we ■wondered eveu more when we turned our eyes a 
little to the right and there saw Capron's light battery, still 
unlimbered and apparently in plain view of the sentries of 
the enemy and our wonder increased as we saw the smoke 
from the cooking fires of the batterymen and watched them 
pi"eparing their morning meal. For, be it understood, our 
brigade commander had sent word along that the orders of 
the night before as to noise and fires were still in force and 
we had breakfasted on hardtack and water. And there were 
the artillerA^nen with their fires lighted and frying their 
bacon and making their cofiree as if there were no such orders 
and not a Spaniard within fifty miles. We could not under- 
stand it and for that matter we do not to this day. Maybe 
scniiebody does but if so we never heard of it. 

It was bad enough to almost smell the hot coffee, for the 
morning air was cool and raw, and to see the batter3-men 
drinking it with relish, but it was far worse to see them non- 
chalantly light their pipes and cigarettes and enjoj" them. 
Since the night before we had been deprived of the solace of 
tobacco and anyone who has ever soldiered knows what that 
means. But when we saw the red striped gimners enjoying 
the weed we made up our minds to follow suit. In a very 
short time our pipes were going and the officers sympatheti- 
cally not only forebore to stop us but soon began to puff their 
pipes. Even a cold breakfast can be enjoj'ed with a tobacco 
dessert and that early morning smoke on the threshold of the 
battlefield was a much appreciated one. 

Meanwhile we had been getting read}' and as packing up 
did not take us long it was but a short time after we were 
aroused from our slumbers before we had fallen in and were 
ready for what the day might bring forth. While waiting 
for orders to march we heard the noise of hoofs coming up 
the trail and Gen. Lawton and his staff clattered by us on 
their way to the front. A couple of Cuban officers were 
with them and they were evidentl}' pleased with the work 

82 



cut out for the Americans that day. Only a few moinents 
after the general had passed came the orders to march and 
we were soon " hitting the trail" again, this time on the 
down grade. 

It was then about 4.30 in the morning. We moved along 
slowly, the trail being so narrow it was necessary to go in 
column of files and it was fully as bad walking as the route 
we had gone over the previous night. After a little we came 
to a brook and took advantage of the opportunity to fill our 
canteens. Just on the other side of the brook we passed 
Capron's battery posted on a low hill, the muzzles of the 
three inch rifles pointe<l toward El Cane}' and the cannoneers 
at their posts waiting for the ball to open. By that time we 
all realized that this was the day we were to go into business. 




CHAPTER XII. 

AV HEREIN IS RELATED SOME EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED TO 
US ON JULY FIRST. 

jARDLY had we passed the battery before we heard 
the boom of one of its guns, followed by another 
and another and we knew then the trouble had 
begun. We kept on the trail for a while longer, the 
men keeping well closed up now and keeping eyes 
and ears alert. El Caney was now replying to Capron and 
v/e could hear for the first time the squeal of the Mauser 
bullets as they began to go over us with a sound like that of 
a vicious cat at bay. We were under fire but hardly realized 
it as 5'et. 

It was a splendid morning. Our trail led along the side of 
what had once been well cultivated fields, the only indication 
of that now being the inevitable barbed wire fencing. The 
skies were cloudless and birds sang as we went along to 
battle. There were other birds too but they did not sing. 
Hardly had the first of Capron's cannon sent its " good 
morning " salute to El Caney before a speck was visible in 
the sky. Larger and larger it grew until we saw it was a 
buzzard scenting the battle and before long it was joined bj' 
hundreds of its kind, all circling about in the air only a short 
distance from the earth and waiting for the rich feast about 
to be spread for them. But we recked not of buzzards or 
what their presence presaged. 



A short distance further along the trail, a quick order and 
we changed direction to the right, leaving the trail and going 
across the field directly toward El Caney. Barbed wire 
fencing was in our way but the two wire cutters attached to 
each company soon made a gate for us. Our battalion 
swung through and into the field while the second battalion 
kept to the trail and took the field further along. The third 
battalion and I of the second, as we afterwards found, were 
halted by Capron's battery and were not given front seats to 
the performance. The field soon changed to scrub and bush 
through which way was made as best we could without 
much regard to alignment. Then came a bit of forest and 
then we debouched out upon the Santiago road, one of the 
few thoroughfares in Cuba that looked like a road. A halt 
and then we stripped for action. Rolls and haversacks were 
taken off and piled by the road side. The belts and the 
pockets of the brown canvas coats were filled with cartridges 
and we were ready for trouble. 

Meanwhile it was evident that there was trouble ahead of 
the Second. From El Caney 's forts and trenches came a 
hail of bullets, while on our right and left there were the 
Krags of our regulars popping away with machine like regu- 
larity, their whip like sentences being punctuated at intervals 
b}' the 3-inch rifles of Capron's men. Over our heads went 
the Mausers in a steady stream and there wasn't a man of 
the Second marching up that road that morning who failed 
to bow his head, (most of us called it " ducking") in response 
to their salutation. The 8th and 22d of our brigade had 
gone on ahead of us, had deployed to the left and we could 
hear their Krags answering the Mausers. It was our first 
experience under fire and it is no wonder that nearly all of us 
wished ourselves, for just a few moments, somewhere else 
and remembered certain pressing engagements we had at 
Springfield that Friday morning. But this feeling was like 
going into a cold bath. The first plunge is the worst and 

85 



within half an hour after getting into the action these same 
men that were "ducking" their heads to the bullets were up 
on the firing line and acting like veterans instead of men who 
up to that morning had never faced an armed foe. Our edu- 
cation had progressed rapidl3\ 

And here a word as to El Caney where Gen. Vara Del Ray 
and 620 Spanish troops held Lawton's division at bay from 
6.30 in the morning until 4.30 in the afternoon. In the gen- 
eral plan for the da3^'s work of July 1st Lawton's division 
was to sweep over to Caney, devote an hour or so to captur- 
ing it and then swing over to the San Juan forts and aid 
Kent's division to take them. Trustworthy (?) Cuban ad- 
vices were that there were only a couple of hundred Spanish 
troops in El Caney and the taking of that outpost of Santiago 
was to be but an incident of our march to San Juan. But 
Gen. Del Ray had not been consulted as to this program and 
the result was our time schedule went to pieces. An entire 
division against 620 men looks like heavy odds in favor of 
the division but it must be remembered that the enemy were 
strongly entrenched with all the advantage of position and 
knew the ground thoroughly, while we were in the open with 
little or no shelter and with only a four-gun light battery 
against stone forts, strong blockhouses and well made in- 
trenchments, so that our advavtage in numbers was more 
than made up by the superior position of the enemy. 

El Caney lay almost directly in front of us, a small town 
backed up against a steep hill as if at ba}' and with forts, in- 
trenchments and houses bristling with rifles. To our right 
on a small elevation was the famous stone fort over which 
floated the red and yellow flag of Spain. A little to the left 
was the village church, of stone and converted into a fortress 
while on either sides of both fort and church were the famil- 
iar Spanisji blockhouses. And in front of all were the 
trenches, well built and covering all the front and sides of the 
town, a covered way connecting some of them with the fort 

86 



and with their fronts guarded by fences and entanglements 
of barbed wire, a protection found of vakie against the 
Cubans, but which proved to be of less efficiency against the 
valor of American soldiers. This was what El Caney pre- 
sented to us on that bright July morning. 

Our brigade's work had been mapped out and appeared to 
be comparatively easy. It was to take position on the left of 
the American line and cut off the retreat of the enemy to- 
wards Santiago when be was driven from Canej' which, as 
already scheduled, was to be within an hour or so after the 
initial shot. But the program for Ludlow^s brigade was 
changed by force of circumstances, for hardly had the 8th 
and 22d of our brigade got into position before they were at- 
tacked and replied in kind and within a few moments the 
hottest part of the action was taking place on the left instead 
of being confined to the right and center, as originally 
planned. 

And while this was happening we were down the " pike" 
getting ready to add our contribution to the din of battle. 
"We were not long in getting ready and leaving one man from 
each company to guard the rolls left by the roadside the 
seven companies of the Second marched to the firing line. 
The first battalion, G, B, K and D companies, was by this 
time some distance ahead of the second, while the third was 
still held up by the battery. Col. Clark, Lieut. Col. Shum- 
way and Adjutant Hawkins were standing beneath a huge 
tree at the intersection of the "sunken" road with the Santi- 
ago road and hardly had the companies come up before an 
order came from Gen. Ludlow to send four companies to 
strengthen the line of the 22d on our left. B and K com- 
panies of the first battalion and L and E of the second bat- 
talion, which had by this time come up, were detailed and B 
and K, under command of Major Southmayd started for the 
22d. L and E followed but through some misunderstanding 
got into a "hot box " and after a time returned to the sunken 

87 



road and took position there. 

B and K marched down the sunken road and then across 
an open space, across which the bullets were flying in a 
steady stream. It was necessarj' to "duck" here and it was 
done without any loss of dignity. This space cleared, the 
companies came to a bit of bush and then into a gully facing 
El Caney on the left. Here was the 22d, l3'ing down and 
answering the fire of the Spaniards in good style. 

Hardly had B and K reached the gullj' and taken position 
when the hail of bullets began to fall among them and men 
began to drop. Private Frank E. Moody of K was one of 
the first hit and died almost instantly, the bullet having 
pierced his heart. On the march of the night before he had 
felt a presentiment of his fate and so strong was this feeling 
of his fate that he gave his watch to Private Fuller to take 
home to his parents. Before long Private John J. Malone 
of B got a fatal w^ound just below the heart and then men 
began to fall thick and fast. As soon as the two companies 
had taken their positions they were ordered to fire, but the 
enemy's return for the first few volleys was payment with 
compound interest. The smoke from the Springfield rifles 
showed the position of our men and lifting slowly, made just 
the target which the enemj' needed. At this time the line 
was about 900 yards from the advanced Spanish trenches and 
it must have been just like rifle practice for the eneni}^. 
Within a moment after the first volley from the Springfields 
crashed out a hail of bullets was poured into the two com- 
panies from the trenches and men fell like sheep. Capt. 
Warriner, raising on one shoulder to give an order, sank 
back with a Mauser through his body. Corporal Ward 
Lathrop got one through his head. Corporal Hoadley got his 
"in the neck, " the bullet going through the right side, 
Wagoner Boule had one through his left hand. Private Ash- 
ley of B was hit in the left forearm. Private James F. 
Ferrier was shot through the right shoulder and also had a 

88 



bullet traverse the right side of his head, making an ugly 
wound, Howard Meyrick had a double one, one bullet strik- 
ing his right leg, while another went through his left shoul- 
der and the upper part of his left arm. Private C. J. Rior- 
dan got a bullet through his left hand while Private A. E. 
Rose got the thumb and one finger of his right hand nipped, 
Private W. B. Riojx4 was hard hit, the bullet entering his 
left shoulder and entering the lungs. Backman of K got a, 
Mauser through his left elbow and was also hit in the left leg 
below the knee. 

As quickly as possible the wounded were picked up by 
their comrades and taken to the rear, a temporary dressing 
station being established beneath a huge tree on the Santiago 
road. Tlie first aid bandages came in handily on the field 
and were used to advantage. Lieut. Powers took command 
of K and Capt. McDonald, as cool as if battles were every- 
daj' occurrences, kept a watchful eye on his men. 

The heavy fire which the powder smoke had drawn upon 
the two companies was also being felt by the 22d and its 
choleric commander, Major Van Horn, came rushing over 
with, "For God's sake, Second Massachusetts, stop firing! 
You're making us a regular target for the enem}-." This 
was not all he said, either, but it was stronger language 
than politeness required. The firing did stop, that is, the 
volley firing did, but the companj'^ commanders gave their 
men orders to fire at ^^^ll. Soon Major Van Horn came over 
with another protest and the two companies moved along 
a little further to the right but on the same line as the 22d 
and leaving quite a little gap between them. As the 22d ad- 
vanced so did B and K, taking advantage of what cover 
there was and keeping up their fire for some time. It was 
perhaps that protest of Major Van Horn that gave the im- 
pression that the entire Second regiment was ordered off the 
firing line, an impression that is a very much mistaken one. 
From the time the two companies took position on the right of 

k 89 



the 22(1 they fired at intervals and at will until the Spaniards 
were driven from the last trench and El Caney was taken. 

While these things were happening on our left G company 
was having troubles of its own on the extreme right of ihe 
line. Sending B and K to the 22d left Col. Clark with only 
G and D ccmipanies of the first battalion with him, the three 
c;umpanies of the second battalion having been placed in the 
sunken road, whose banks gave them some protection from 
the incessant fire from El Caney. G and D were sent fur- 
ther along up the Santiago road and G was halted directly in 
front of a cultivated field which was directly in front of the 
trenches and the town and was flanked by the stone fort. 
Halting here the second platoon of the company under Lieut. 
Edward J. Leydeu deplo5"ed as skirmishers and advanced 
across the field, taking every possible advantage of cover, of 
wiiich there was little, and halting at intervals to kneel and 
fire. The light brown uniforms advancing slowl}' across the 
field soon attracted the notice of the enemj', even before the 
first volley from the Springfields gave the Spaniards a target, 
and men began to drop. Still the line advanced until it was 
within 500 yards of the fort and then a halt was ordered and 
the men threw themselves flat on the ground and began fir- 
ing at will, ^ow the bullets from both fort and trenches 
were hailing about them but they kept crawling along until 
within a range of 400 yards. Then Lieut. Leyden looked 
around and saw that his 14 men were isolated from the rest 
cf the company and he at once realized that it was suicidal to 
go further without reinforcements. Arthur Packard, beloved 
of all his comrades, had fallen dead on the field with a Span- 
ish bullet through his head and George Richmond, one of the 
"old timers "of the company, had fallen fatally wounded. 
" G oldie " Bresnan had been ordered to the rear with the 
blood dripi)ing from a shattered hand and Ernest Marble, 
wounded in the head, la}- on the field. Others had in the 
meantime joined the little force, men from other companies, 

90 



but not enough to make a further advance successful. 
Among the reinforcements was Lieut. D. J. Moynihan of I 
company, who had left his position with the second battalion 
and walked across the field to join Leyden's men. He 
essayed his luck as a siiarpshooter, borrowing a rifle from 
one of the men, and fired three shots before he himself sank 
to the ground with a bullet through his bodj-. Before this 
happened, however, and when he first joined Lieut. Leyden, 
Lieut. Moj^nihan advised that the advance should continue 
and suggested a charge. But Lieut. Leyden pointed to the 
few men he had and asked what the result would be. There 
was no answer to this. Less than 20 men charging against 
a stone fort under a heavy fire from it and flanked l)y the 
trenches would have been heroic, no doubt, but it would have 
been deliberately throwing away men's lives and to no good 
result. So Lieut. Leyden refused to order a charge but sent 
Lieut. Moynihan back to Col. Clark for orders. These were 
tor him to remain where he was and there the platoon stayed 
until the town was taken, although some of the men ad- 
vanced even closer to the fort, taking advantage of some 
small piles of stones, which had evidently been heaped up as 
shelter for Spanish outposts. All the long afternoon the little 
squad lay under the pitiless sun, firing whenever there was a 
chance until they heard the cheers of the charging regulars 
and saw the red and yellow flag of Spain go down from the 
fort and the Stars and Stripes replace it. Then tbey sprang 
to their feet and cheered. But it was not all over then. 
The fort had been taken but from trench and blockhouse and 
church and every building in El Caney still came the hail of 
Mausers. The dead and wounded of the Second were being 
attended to as best could be done, but their comrades still 
fought on. Two guns of Capron's battery had been moved 
up to a position in the rear of D company and the balance of 
G and were knocking things about in the old town. Gen. 
Vara Del Ray was wounded unto death and the American 

91 



troops were drawing their lines closer and closer around 
Cauey, but still the Spaniards fought on with the courage of 
desperation. At the fork of the roads was Col. Clark, send- 
ing his staff officers, or rather officer, Lieut, Paul R. Haw- 
kins, hither and thither and giving messages to his orderlies. 
Lieut. Hawkins, cool under fire, won a high place in the 
regard of the men who saw him that day and the orderlies, 
including Private Ross of B, showed coolness and courage. 
Two other Springfield men. Sergeant Scully and Corporal 
Ross of G were pressed into service as orderlies for a time and 
did their duty well. Two cool and collected men were Col. 
Clark and Lieut. Col. Shumway and both exposed themselves, 
at times against the wish of the brigade commander, along the 
line. Gen. Ludlow was for some time at the fork of the roads 
with Col. Clark, his dead horse, shot under him, almost at the 
outset of the action, lying near by, but once he was gone he 
did not return and neither he nor an5'one else in authority gave 
the orders to withdraw the Second from the firing line, as 
has been stated b}^ some. If any such orders were issued 
which is doubtful, they were never received by Col. Clark, 
and the companies of the Second stayed throughout the day 
where he placed them. 

Meanwhile the big tree a bit down the road was the scene 
of some grewsome work. Soon after the opening of the 
action Lieut. Hawkins had been ordered by Col. Clark to 
bring up the surgeons and the ground under the big tree was 
then transformed into a temporary hospital or rather a dress- 
ing station. Here Surgeon Bowen and his assistants, Lieuts, 
Gates and Hitchcock, aided by Hospital Stewards Fortier, 
Greenberg and Howes and the members of the hospital corps, 
labored until the enemy's sharpshooters, discerning the group 
under the tree, made it an object of attention and the bullet- 
torn leaves began to flutter down upon the wounded. Then 
the hospital was moved farther down the road and the dead 
and dying and wounded conveyed there as tenderly as possi- 

n 



ble under the circumstances. It was here the heroic Father 
Edwin Fitzgerald, the beloved chaplain of the 22d, labored 
from morning until far into the night, canng as tenderly as a 
mother for the wounded of all the regiments, making their 
places as easy as possible for them, bringing them water from 
the distant brook, giving the consolations of religion to all, 
whether of his creed or not. More than once he visited the 
firing line and aided in bringing some poor fellow down to 
the hospital. Danger he cared not for and he went on with 
his work apparently oblivious to his bullet-torn coat, two 
holes in which bore eloquent witness to narrow escapes. On 
that day Father Fitzgerald earned the lifelong affection of 
the officers and men of the Second. 

And so time wore on until between 4.30 and 5 in the after- 
noon, when ringing cheers announced that the last trench 
had been won and El Caney was ours. Then followed the 
reunion of the regiment. Lieut. Leyden marched his gallant 
platoon back and the men fell into their old places in G com- 
pany. B and K came back from the left with the 2 2d and 
the regiment gathered once more on the Santiago road, 
soldiers now, stained with powder and battle smoke and grim 
with the thoughts of the day and its events. Further down 
the road in the improvised hospital lay the forms, cold in 
death, of five brave men and with them were 40 more or less 
seriously wounded, three of them mortally. 

The Second had received its baptism of blood. 




UL* 



CHAPTER XIII. 

WE LEARN SOME MORE THINGS ABOUT THE ART OF WAR 
AS CONDUCTED IN THESE DAYS. 

T was not exactly a joyous reunion as the companies 
assembled in the Santiago road that afternoon. 
i^ True, we were all glad to see one another again, but 
^^ the heat and burden of the day had been great and 
there were many faces missing from the ranks. 
Nearly ten hours on the battlefield under the burning Cuban 
sun and without much to comfort us in the way of food or 
drink was not conducive to good temper and to this was 
added the spur of the ingratitude of our so-called Cuban 
allies. It will be remembered that just before the regiment 
went into action the rolls and haversacks had been discarded 
and placed by the roadside and it fell out that while the own- 
ers were up on the firing line fighting for Cuba Lihre, some 
oi the Cuban patriots came along and, the guards placed 
over the property being absent, helped themselves to the 
rations in the haversacks. These were the Cubans, by the 
way, who were supposed to be fighting over on our left that 
day, but it seems they had more important business, to them, 
on hand to bother much about fighting. So as we gathered 
there in the road in the stillness which followed the battle 
storm and realized that we were to go supperless there were 
some things said about our Cuban friends which indicated a 
not very high feeling of esteem for them. 



Once gathered together again and the roll called came the 
after work of the battle. Squads were sent over the field to 
bring in any dead or wounded that might have been over- 
looked and to gather up any property left there. The com- 
panies which had lost men prepared to march to the hospital 
to bury the dead and those fortunate ones whose haversacks 
had been untouched began to light their cooking fires. 
Hardly an hour had elapsed since Caney was taken when up 
came an aide with orders for Col. Clark and when he read 
them the assembly sounded and we heard with disgust the 
orders that the regiment was to move at once to San Juan to 
reinforce the first division. We had anticipated after our 
hard day's work a bite to eat and a night's rest and here we 
were disappointed in both. Faint!}' through that day at inter- 
vals we at Caney could hear the sounds of battle in our rear 
and we heard late in the afternoon that it was our troops 
attacking the San Juan forts but it was not until after we 
liad finished our job at El Caney that we heard what the first 
division had done. 

But orders are orders and grumbling does not count 
against them. The details sent to dig graves were recalled, 
the equipments were donned again and in a short time we 
were once more "piking the pike." It was a gloomy march 
that evening, for the men were not very much inclined to 
conversation. On we went, now in columns of fours on a 
fairly decent road for Cuba, again in column of files through 
the bush and finally emerged onto another road. It was 
now dark, but we kept on until about 10 o'clock we came to 
a stone bridge over the San Juan river and the order to halt 
was given as the head of our regiment reached the bridge. 
Whether it was to be a mere halt or a bivouac no one seemed 
to know and no one cared. Hardly had the order to halt 
been given before the men had dropped bj^ the roadside and, 
worn out by the toilsome march of the night before and the 
day's work, followed by the march to the bridge, were 

95 



asleep, many of them without even taking off their heavy 
rolls. It was not an ideal place for slumber, either. Troops 
were continually passing by and every now and then a mule 
team would pass with a clatter but the sleepers slumbered 
on. Until after midnight we lay there, waiting for further 
orders. About one o'clock up came mule wagons and a pack 
train and soon after the men were awakened and told to 
'* hurry up" and get rations. In a few moments the scene 
was changed. Huge fires were lighted and by their light 
the rations were given out, the delights of slumber proving 
to be less strong than the desire to eat and every man awak- 
ening to the knowledge that we would soon be on the move 
again. So it was. Hardly had we drawn rations and be- 
gan to cook them before a battery of artillery moved hur- 
riedly by us to the rear, many of us just having time to 
draw our legs out of the way of the wheels. Next came the 
8th and 22d of our brigade and by 2 o'clock we too were on 
the march. Following the road over which we had come for 
a short distance, we soon left it and changing direction to 
the right, swung into a trail across country. Along this we 
marched for hours amid the darkness, through woods and 
chaparral and fields, once cultivated. We climbed hills and 
forded streams, all in the darkness, we brushed the morning 
mist from the trees and grass as we passed, and when the 
dawn came found ourselves still on the march, wet and tired 
and sleepy and bedraggled. Daylight made no difference. 
On we pressed, climbing a long hill, crowned with plantation 
buildings and from which we could look down upon a scene 
of beauty, the green-clad hills and mountains, their tops still 
wreathed in the morning mist and with no sign that aught 
but peace and happiness lay in the valleys between them. 
No time, however, this to enjoy scenery, no matter how pic- 
turesque. On we went, now down the hill and into a thick 
piece of woods, where we halted for a little time, then on 
again until we once more struck a road and reached El Pozo, 

96 



where there had been considerable trouble the day before. 
Without waiting for us the quadrille had already opened. 
During our halt in the woods we could hear the artillerj^ and 
the rifles and soon after we reached the El Pozo road and 
once more swinging to the right started for San Juan we 
realized that it might be a case of El Caney over again, for 
we encountered a steady stream of wounded men going or 
being carried to the rear. Down the road screeched the 
Mausers, but still high over our heads and in the distance 
we could hear the boom of the guns of the Spanish forts as 
they answered our light artillery. Still onward, with no 
band or field music to give us the cadenced step, a minute's 
halt now and then until we v/ere compelled to leave the road 
to make way for a batterj* banging recklessly along to take 
another position. Then across a stream and over an open 
field in full view of the enemy's trenches on the right, pass- 
ing the battlegromid of the day before and, under fire by 
this time, we swung once more to the right and took position 
on a hill on nearly the extreme right of the American line. 

Rolls had been again stripped off and it was expected we 
would go into action, but the Spaniards had been given 
pretty nearly all the fight they wanted that day and there 
was little for the Second to do but to take its position and 
stay there. For hours the men lay on the hill crest under 
the blazing sun, without a chance at cooking a meal and 
hard pressed for water until details were sent back to the 
stream with canteens. Sharpshooters made this mission 
dangerous but no one refused to go. 

It was not until early in the evening that the firing died 
down and it was safe to stand erect and walk about. The 
rolls and haversacks had been brought up and having been 
better guarded from prowling Cubans this time the contents 
of the haversacks were intact. By the time darkness came 
on the hillside on which we were camped for tlie day, tents 
had by this time been put up, was ilhmiinatad by the cook- 

1 97 



ing fires and once more we enjoyed something that would 
pass for a meal. This over, sleep was the next necessity and 
we were not long in seeking our downy couches. 

But we did not slumber long. Just about 10 o'clock there 
Avas a disturbance of the peace by the Spaniards, who appar- 
ently wished to spoil the good time we were having. Three 
or four big guns boomed out and then came the, by this 
time familiar sound of the Mausers. It needed no bell boy 
to awake us. In a jiffy we were up and scrambling for 
nfies and cnrtridge belts. Then came quickly spoken orders 
to ' ' fall in " from the company commanders and the voices 
of the hurrying non-coms as they rounded up the men. All 
Wcis black darkness and men stumbled over the grass and 
roots or slipped on the steep hillside. It was a scene of the 
utmost din and confusion, orders coming fast and loud, the 
men, still sleep-blinded, hustling about in confusion, the 
night's stillness broken by the crash of the Spanish rifles and 
the noise of exploding shells over our heads while on our 
right we heard the whip-like crack of the Krags answering 
the Mausers. ' ' Hell's broken loose, " avowed a B man as he 
groped about for his cartridge belt and indeed it seemed so. 

Our battalion had its ''shacks" on the top of the 
hill just below the crest while the other companies were 
wcattered all along the liill but further below, so that the 
men of the Springfield companies were not long in falling in 
and making their wa}' to the crest. But even then they 
were not quick enough to satisfy Major Van Horn, the chol- 
eric commander of the 22d, who appeared to have as bad a 
case of what was known to the boys as the ' ' rattles " as any 
man ever had. Brandishing his sword, he ran about the 
hill, cursing the Second and ordering every man to the front, 
although it would have seemed he had enough to do to look 
after his own outfit. Col. Clark and his officers and the 
regiment were already on the top of the hill and awaiting 
events, but for some time Major Van Horn pranced and 

98 



reared and vented his spleen npon the few men who hap- 
pened to he a bit slow about getting up until finally his 
senses returned and he went where he belonged. 

All in all our officers and men acted with coolness, consid- 
ering the circiunstances. It is not pleasant or conducive to 
coolness of thought or action to be suddenly pulled out of 
bed after a da}^ of great exertion and hustle around in black 
darkness to the accompaniment of rifle bullets raid bomb- 
shells and especially when it is uncertain whether the enemy 
is in one's front, flank or rear and go stmnbling up a steep 
hill so that it is small wonder if at the outset a few were 
'* rattled." But in a very short time the lines were formed 
on the top of the hill and the Second waited. 

It was fortunate that none of our officers lost their heads 
and ordered their men to fire for the results could not fail to 
have been unfortunate all around. Just below us were three 
of our own regiments and had the Second fired the bullets 
would have hit our own men. It was a wonder that in the 
darkness and confusion nothing of the kind was done but 
officers and men kept their heads well and after the first con- 
fused rush up the hill all acted with commendable coolness. 

But if we did not use our rifles the enemy did theirs and 
before the afifair was over two men of the Second had been 
hit, one of them. Private Robert G. Kelly of G, mortally. 
A Mauser struck him in the left cheek, passing through and 
severing the lingual artery, lodged in the muscles of the 
right jaw. The other man hit was Private Peter N. White 
of A company, whose wound was not serious. 

Poor Kelly was taken to his t«nt, where he lay in agony 
all night, the surgeons and hospital stewards doing all they 
could to relieve him. The next morning he was taken to 
the division hospital near Siboney where he lingert-d until 
July 7th, when he died. There was a story, which has 
never been denied, that his death was caused by internal 

99 



hemorrhage caused by the imperfect manner in which his 
wound was cared for in the hospital. 

The affair lasted about an hour and whon the attacking 
force of Spaniards had been pretty well cut to pieces the 
enemy retire<l within his lines once more and the Second 
returned to its slumbers. At 3 A. M. there was some more 
firing but this was merely an affair of outposts and lasted 
but a few moments, just long enough to break up sleep for 
the second time that night. 

Next day was Sunday, but it could hardly be called a 
peaceful one. From daybreak to early in the afternoon the 
sharpshooters of the enemy were active and a man had to 
walk humbly and keep well under cover unless he cared to 
make a target of himself. Many of these sharpshooters 
Vi^ere inside our lines, not having had an opportunity to get 
to their own when their companions were driven back and 
hidden in thick foliaged trees and supplied with rations and 
water and plenty of ammunition they managed to make 
niatters rather lively for us. Early in the day many squads 
were sent out to locate and capture these fellows but though 
many were located few were brought in as prisoners. 

Time wore on slowly that Sunday. About noon orders 
were promulgated that an armistice had been declared and 
that firing on both sides was to cease at 12 o'clock. This 
v/as not bad news but evidently all our Spanish friends did 
not hear of it until later, for up to 3 o'clock there was an 
occasional bullet sent toward us from the outlying trenches. 
After that hour it was possible to walk about without hav- 
ing to dodge. 

Early that morning we heard the distance-dulled boom of 
heavy gmis from the direction of the mouth of the harbor. 
We knew that Sampson and Schley were outside waiting for 
Cervera and his ships but we had heard the guns of our fleet 
so often that we supposed it was simply another case of 
throwing a few shot at the Morro or the other Spanish bat- 

100 



teries. Gradually the roar of tlie guns grew fainter and 
fainter until they died away altogether and it was supposed 
the attack of the fleet had again been fruitless. But soon 
after noon the "JoJo" department got at work again and 
rumors began to circulate that this time the fleet had been 
successful and had forced its way past the batteries and into 
the harbor. 

It was not until soon after 4 o'clock that afternoon, how- 
ever, that we learned what bad happened. Then we saw 
Major Webb of Shaftor's staff riding up to our brigade head- 
quarters, which were only a few yards away from Col. 
Clark's "shack." The major reined up, said a few words to 
Gen. Ludlow and the latter hastily summoned the regimental 
commanders and announced that the Spanish fleet had tried 
to cut its way out of the harbor and had been met by Schley's 
ships and destroyed. It did not take long for the good news 
to spread and then such cheering as went up. Hats went up 
into the air and there was general jubilation. For once the 
"Jo Jo" department had been outdone. All along our line 
we could hear the cheering and then what few regimental 
bands we had broke loose and gave a jubilee concert which 
was highly appreciated. We had no religious services that 
day but the bands pla3'ed, "There'll be a hot time in Old 
Town to-night," 

Discipline was relaxed after the armistice had been declared 
and the men wandered along the lines, visiting other regi- 
ments and going over the battlegrounds of the two days 
previous. Many visited the outposts and took a look at the 
city and the forts. We could see the Spaniards taking life 
easy in their trenches and we wondered if they had heard 
what had happened to their fleet. Some of our boys, dis- 
gusted with their Springfields, went " grafting " Krags and 
picked up a good number, together with plenty of ammuni- 
tion. Had the entire regiment been turned loose there is no 
question but what every man would have replaced his Spring- 

101 



field with a Krag-Jorgensen and as it was nearly 150 were 
obtaineti and a corresponding number of Sprinfields thrown 
away. 

Our sleep was unbroken that night and we were readj' to 
celebrate July 4th the next morning. Our celebration took 
the form of a little excursion, for soon after our frugal break- 
fast we were on the march again and began our celebrated 
swing to the right with the object of encircling the city. 
Our brigade led the advance as it had from the start and 
after four hours of slow progress we swung to the left and 
took our position on the now famous " Misery hill," an eleva- 
tion in rear of the city and overlooking it. From the crest 
we could plainly see the Spanish batteries and barracks, while 
almost directly in front of us were the hospital buildings ^\^th 
half a dozen Red Cross fiags flying over them. We passed 
our Fourth of July quietly enough. Not a fire cracker was 
fired, principall}^ because we did not have any and there was 
not even a rifle crack to mark the day. Late in the after- 
noon we heard the guns of the fleet again as they hammered 
away at the harbor batteries for awhile. We pitched our 
"day tents" and took notice of the fact that our rations were 
getting low again. Next day we were put at work for the 
first time digging trenches and we enjoyed the job. For 
tools there were in the entire regiment only a few shovels and 
picks but the trenches had to be dug and the boys went at it 
with their mess knives, spoons and tin plates. It was fierce 
work under the blazing sun and the soil was hard to dig, but 
the work was done by reliefs and bj^ night of the next day 
the trenches of our battalion were completed and good ones 
they were, too. They were dug on the crest of the hill and 
were deep enough with the earth parapet to give us protec- 
tion from anj'thing the eneni}'^ might send over at us. They 
were wide enough to enable the men to move about and the 
earth was cut away at the rear so as to make a sort of seat. 
More trouble was anticipated at any moment and ammuui- 

102 



tion in plenty was placed along the trenches. In fact, there 
was more ammunition than rations about all the time duriug 
the campaign. 

Capron's battery, which was with us at El Caney, came 
up the 6th and took a position on the left of our line of 
trenches. The digging of intrenchments for this battery 
afforded us our first opportunity of seeing Cubans work and 
certainly they did work under Capt. Capron. Other regi- 
ments kept coming up and taking positions on our left and 
the circle about Santiago began to tighten. 

Meanwhile we had leisure to lie about and figure up our 
losses. Malone of B, shot at El Caney, had died in the field 
hospital the evening of July 2d and his death came as a 
shock to his friends in that company. Richmond of G died 
in the same hospital early the preceding evening and that 
made five good men in the three Springfield companies slain 
by Spanish bullets. There were many missing faces from 
the ranks, too, and we kept hearing rumors that this or that 
man wounded at Caney had died in the hospital. Besides we 
knew some exaggerated stories about the losses of the Second 
had gone home and we knew the anxiety which our friends 
and relatives in Springfield must be feeling. 

There were other losses aside from the bullets of the 
enemy. On July Gth Major Southmayd and Capt. McDon- 
ald left camp, the former going home on sick leave and the 
latter having injured himself badl}' in the spine. He was 
accompanied to the hospital by First Sergeant Burke, who 
remained with him until he sailed for the United States. In 
Capt. McDonald's absence First Lieut. W. L. Young took 
command of B company. Capt. John J. Leonard of G was 
made acting major of Major Southmayd's battalion and 
retained the command to the close of the campaign. The 
command of K company devolved upon First Lieut. Phillip 
C. Powers and First Lieut. W. C. Hayes took command of 
G company. 

103 



About this time many of our boys got "next" to a species 
of poison vine somewhat resembhng the poison ivy of New 
England and with about the same results. The surgeons 
could find nothing to counteract the effects of the vine until a 
Cuban told them of another plant which being steeped was 
an effective antidote for the poison and a free use of this soon 
restored the swollen faces and hands of the sufferers to their 
normal condition. 

" Misery hill " was a delightful place especially when the 
rations began to get shy as they did soon after our arrival. 
The visits of the pack train were few and far between and it 
was just as likely as not to bring ammunition instead of ra- 
tions. Issues of one or two hardtack and a thin slice of ba- 
con for a twenty-four hours ration were common, and some 
of the boys supplemented their menu with mangoes and 
' ' monkey plumes. " Sergeant Lovely of G enjoyed the dis- 
tinction of eating twenty-four mangoes in one day, much to 
the horror of the surgeons when they heard of it, but with 
no bad results to him . 

It was while we were on " Misery hill " that " Dido " Hunt 
achieved added fame by his abilities as a butcher. Gen. 
Ludlow had a desire for beefsteak and had purchased a hun- 
gr}'^ looking cow from some Cubans, Private Hunt as regi- 
mental butcher, being detailed to kill the animal. It was 
just before dusk, one evening, when the cow was led forth to 
the slaughter and " Dido," armed with a revolver, got ready 
to act as executioner. He fired again and again at the cow, 
the animal after each shot, looking about in a surprised man- 
ner as if wondering what the racket was all about. Finally 
one of the bullets hit the cow somewhere, and with a bellow 
of pain and fright, she ran off and disappeared in the dark- 
ness, leaving Private Hunt and the man who had been hold- 
ing the rope gazing at each other. Gen. Ludlow had no 
steak that evening and the fate of the cow was never learned 
although there were rumors that the animal had ended her 

104 



career in the camp of one of the regular regiments, the men 
of which had a fresh meat supper that night. 

A " commissary " had been established near Siboney by 
some enterprising sutlers, and the companj^ officers were en- 
abled to purchase some tea, oatmeal, etc., for their men. 
These were especially valuable, as several had succumbed to 
the climate and the toil and exposure of the campaign, and 
the hardtack and bacon were not the best kind of food for 
them. About this time, too, we were threatened with an 
outbreak of measles, but the cases were promptly isolated 
and the disease did not spread. 



m 




CHAPTER XIV. 

WE CONTINUE OUR EDUCATION IN THE ART OF WAR AND 
LEARN A FEW THINGS. 

^UR stay on " Misery hill" lasted just seven days and 
in that time we learned a few things, the art of 
j^ trench digging without intrenching tools, standing 
out in our memory as one most important lesson. 
We learned how to sleep on a side hill without our 
bodies slipping entirely out from the shelter tents during our 
slumbers, this being accomplished by the simple means of 
dri\'ing a couple of pegs into the ground at the opening of the 
tent and placing a stick against them, our feet resting against 
the stick and preventing us going any^ further. We acquired 
the art of making cigarettes and of using anything at all in 
the paper line to roll them in. The inner pith of the royal 
palm came in handily for this purpose when our supply of 
cigarette paper gave out. We learned how to make one 
match light several pipes or cigarettes, for matches were 
scarce and therefore not to be wasted. We learned how to 
make the brook water passably cool in our canteens, by thor- 
oughly soaking the canvass covering of the canteen and then 
suspending it from a tree or tent pole, the evaporation of the 
moisture of the cover slowly cooling the contents. At night 
the canteens were hung from the tent poles and in the morn- 
ing the water was usually quite cool. Later on long branch- 
es of bamboo were used as water vessels and one trip to 



the brook usually sufficed for the da}'. In the building of 
'* shacks " by which the regulars who had served in the west 
designated about everything in the way of a shelter from the 
sun or rain, we obtained lessons from our friends of the 8th 
and 22d. A couple of crotched sticks across which was laid 
a center pole formed the usual frame work of the structure 
and the roof and sides were composed of bushes or palm 
leaves. These were more airy than our tents and more com- 
fortable except when it rained heavily. 

Also, we learned to do without stockings, the fact being 
that the bulk of our hosiery was either worn out or thrown 
away, and we took a card from the regulars and discarded 
such things in the line thereof, greasing our feet with the 
luscious " sow belly." In laundry work we became expert. 
" Jim " Ryan's steam laundry had long since gone into vol- 
untary bankruptcy, and every man was his own laundryman. 
Insect enemies began to appear, and obtained a lodgment in 
spite of strenuous efforts. Soap was scarce and there were 
times when water was not the easiest thing in the world to 
get. Our sleeping arrangements were primitive, the usual 
method of arranging them being to place the rubber blanket 
on the ground with the coated side down, on this place the 
woolen blanket and wrapping this about us, go to sleep. 
Our coats, or shoes, or anything else suitable, being utilized 
for pillows. While on " Misery hill " many of the boys cut 
grass and utilized it as mattresses, but we could not do this 
on our short bivouacs. 

As to cooking, we were " stars." That is when there was 
anything to cook. On these occasions our culinary prepara- 
tions were delightfully simple and even chafing-dish outfits 
would have to bow to our superior ingenuit}'. Our cooking 
apparatus required a small fire of wood, and the utensils 
were all carried in our haversacks. They were a combined 
frying pan and plate of tin, the former having a handle, a 
sharp pointed knife, fork and spoon. The basis of our me- 

107 



nu was especially noticeable for its simplicity, the staples 
being bacon, hardtack, canned tomatoes and coffee. Some- 
times we had sugar and more times we didn't. Occasionally 
we had a bit of salt or pepper and on these rare occasions 
there was joy, for then we were enabled to make the stuff 
labelled "canned roast beef" palatable enough so that it could 
be forced down our throats. At other times, Ugh ! If the 
devil hasn't a special corner in the hot room of his Turkish 
bath reserved for those responsible for that "canned roast 
beef," he isn't "onto his job." 

Even with such simple means we managed to vary the 
menus a bit at times. Our usual breakfast was bacon 
and hardtack and coffee. The bacon was usually without a 
bit of lean and after frying for a moment or two the pan was 
about half-filled with fat, leaving a shrivelled up and brittle 
piece of so-called bacon. But it was eaten just the same, our 
stomachs having been educated up to anything. Sometimes 
we fried our hardtack in the bacon grease and these with 
black coffee, sometimes without sugar, made up our break- 
fast. Thanks to a beneficent government we had coffee about 
all the time, if we had nothing else. It came to us in the 
berry, in paper packages, and our chief concern as to coffee 
was how to grind or pulverize it. Usually this was done by 
the simple but slow process of putting a few berries in our 
tin cups and pounding tliem with a stick or tent pole until 
they were broken enough to steep. Then the cup was filled 
with water and placed, in the fire until the coffee boiled when 
the cup was taken out by means of a cleft stick or a bayonet 
and laid aside to cool sufficiently to drink. There was plenty 
of barbed wire everywhere and by means of the wire cutters 
rude grates were made on which the tin cup was placed. 
For dinner the bill of fare and the method of preparing it was 
about the same, likewise for supper. Sometimes, when we 
had canned tomatoes we made "sludge," a simple confection 
of tomatoes and broken hardtack, with at times a few 

108 



" strings " of the corned beef thrown in to give it, not taste, 
but more bodJ^ This " beef " was also used to form the 
groundwork for an imitation stew, the only resemblance to 
stew being the name, for it was without onions or potatoes. 
Then we made " Santiago sludge cakes," composed of pul- 
verized hardtack and water, the mixture being patted into 
cakes and fried in bacon grease. Sometimes a bit of sugar 
was sprinkled over them, and we deluded ourselves into the 
belief that we were eating something very fine. Another 
method of preparing this delicacy was to mix in some canned 
tomato. Mango stew we had at times, but not often, as 
sugar was scarce. 

Gout might fairl}' have been expected as the result of this 
high living, ( we were camped on a hill,) but, strange to say, 
no cases were reported, and even dyspepsia was unknown. 
Our regular hours doubtless aided us in keeping off these two 
diseases. We were aroused by reveille very early in the 
morning, usually about dawn and retired early in the even- 
ing. It grew dark about 8 o'clock and by that time 
everyone but the sentries was in quarters and usually asleep. 
The personal appearance of our officers and men was not 
as prepossessing as it might have been. Coats and collars 
were not de rigeur and the only headgear was very " bum " 
looking campaign hats. Usually our blue shirts were open 
at the neck and a blue handkerchief carelessly knotted a la 
cow boy was our only ornament. Suspenders were viewed 
with suspicion and the cartridge belts, with their thimbles 
filled with ammunition, served also the purpose of keeping 
our trousers up. These trousers were showing the wear 
and tear of the campaign, and needed pressing badly, being 
also used for pajamas. Our leggings were mostl}^ torn and 
frayed, and went w'ell with the trousers so far as looks were 
concerned, as for shoes, they too had seen better days. 
Barbers were at a discount and full beards were popular, the 
most noticeable ones in the three Springfield companies being 

109 



those of Lieuts. Powers and Parkhurst of K, and Sergeants 
Scully and Murphy of G, although Gardella's was not far 
behind. 

In K ''Bert" Nichols and " Ad " Potter had trained down so 
fine that their bodies failed to oast a shadow, and ' ' Billy " 
Fish had got down to less than 200 pounds. The beard pos- 
sessed by Morris Greenowitz of B was nearly all that re- 
mained of him and Jack Fulton was travelling in the same 
road. Alberts of B was having a good time with the horses 
and the Chaplain, and in K the Turner brothers were having 
hourly arguments with each other on the relative nutritious 
qualities of canned roast and corned beef. '' Wap " Pack- 
ard of G was busy figuring how many men were by his 
brother's side when he was shot, and had already counted 
up 3.5 with several more districts to hear from, and " Jim " 
Shene of the same company was planning foraging expedi- 
tions with Private Mahoney of Mittineague. ' ' Batty " Hayes 
had secured a divorce from ' ' Marguerite " Gelinas and was 
busy trying to keep the case out of the papers. 

So the days passed on " Misery hill " until noon of the 
10th, when we were ordered to move on, once more to the 
right, and we left our fine trenches only to have them occu- 
pied by the 71st New York, the "heroes" of San Juan. We 
halted after a couple of hours, there being some trenches 
dug by Garcias Cubans, and occupied them at 4 o'clock 
when our batteries opened upon Santiago. The affair lasted 
until 6, but the enemy's reply was not very loud and we did 
not get a chance to use our Springfields. 

Next marning we were on the march again, and this time 
it lasted about all day, up hill and down hill, until just be- 
fore dusk we halted for the night with the right of our brig- 
ade resting on the Cobre road, thus cutting off the last ave- 
nue of escape from the city for the Spaniards, and the only 
way by which reinforcements from Holguin or the rest of 
the province could be put into the city. Rumors that a large 

110 



Spanish force was on the way, made us vigilant and our 
guards were instructed to keep the sharpest kind of a watch, 
but as events proved, it was not necessary. Hardly had the 
boys got their tents up and their supper cooked, before the 
mail came up, and such a rush as there was for it. We 
had received one mail from home while on " Misery hill," 
and every man who failed to receive a letter then, was cer- 
tain there was one or more for him now and could hardly 
wait to have the contents of the sacks distributed. 

That night we had to take off our hats to the Cuban rain 
storm. Hardly had the mail been distributed when it began 
to rain. Up to this what rain there was had usually fallen 
in the afternoon and was not of long duration, but the rain 
of July 11th and 12th will be remembered by every one in 
the Fifth Army Corps. It came down all night in solid 
sheets and our shelter tents and rubber blankets were of lit- 
tle use against it. When morning came everybody and 
everything was drenched, and a more forlorn looking outfit 
can hardly be imagined. About 6 A. M., the rain ceased 
for an hour or two and as soon as possible huge fires of bam- 
boo were blazing and the men essayed to dry themselves 
and their clothing and to cook breakfast. Fortunately there 
was plenty of bamboo near our camp, and the wood burned 
as well wet as dry. But it was not long before down came 
the rain again just as bad as during the night, and to add to 
our discomfort, came orders to pack up and move on again. 

Rolling up our saturated tents and blankets, and wet to 
the skin, we took up the march and after wading through 
the deep mud of the Cobre road for a short distance, 
plunged into a trail which would take us to our new posi- 
tion and our last camp in Cuba. But it was not long before 
we found that the trail led through a piece of swampy 
ground, and before they had gone far the boys found them- 
selves up to their legging tops in mud and the ooze of the 
swamp. It took a long time to flounder along through this, 

111 



but it was finally done and the regiment emerged upon firm 
ground, and was soon on the spot selected for its occupancy. 

All this time the rain kept on, and it was not until nearly 
4 P. M., that it ceased and the sun came out. Meanwhile, 
the well soaked shelter tents bad been put up and the men 
were either huddled under them and saying things about the 
wet season and Cuba, or were standing about with their rub- 
ber blankets thrown over their heads. But with the coming 
of the sun there was a great change. Its rays were so fierce 
that within half an hour there was scarcely any indication 
that it had been raining all night and all day, the ground 
dried up rapidly and so did the shelter tents. Off came the 
rubber blankets from the men, and clothing and equipments 
were spread out to dry in the afternoon sun. Wood was 
hustled for and with the blaze of the cooking fires and the 
smell of bacon and coffee cheerfulness returned. 

That evening the boys were put at work again digging 
trenches. Up to this Gen. Toral ha,d hesitated to respond to 
Shafter's invitation to come out and surrender and the arri- 
val of Gen. Miles having stiffened up the latter gentleman's 
backbone, some more trouble was looked for. Our brigade 
was, as usual, on the extreme right of the American line and 
the 8th regiment lay directly opposite the head of the liarbor, 
the 22d next and then " ours." Right in front of our center 
and less than 500 yards away was the bull ring of Santiago, 
a circular wooden building filled with Spanish soldiers, while 
in front of that we could see the trenches with the soldiers 
lounging about, and with a glass could discern the barbed 
wire fencing and entanglements in front of the trenches. 
Our position was an exposed one, for from their position the 
enemy could have raked us front and flank, so at the trench- 
es we went under the direction of Major Whipple. 

By this time our regiment had been supplied with a fairly 
decent number of intrenching tools and the boys, appreciat- 
ing the necessity for trenches, went at the work with but lit- 

112 



tie grumbling. The trenches were dng on three sides of a 
square, one in front of each batta-lion, the work being done 
by each company in relays. Major Whipple's battahon now 
had the right, Major Fairbanks' the center and ours the left, 
so that it was in the rear of the other two. The work was 
continued to a late hour that night, and all the next day, 
and finished on the morning of the 14th. The trenches 
were even better than those dug on "Misery hill" and 
were complimented b}' Gen. Ludlow, who was a colonel of 
engineers before he became a general of volunteers. Not to 
be behind hand the non-commissioned staff of the regiment 
and the headquarters attaches dug a trench for themselves 
and the regiment was ready for the next move. 

Twelve o'clock at noon of the 24th was the hour set for 
the ending of the truce, and at 11.30 A. M. we were ordered 
into the trenches. Everyone felt there was going to be a 
hard fight this time, for it was considered certain that the 
enemy would make a determined resistance and our estimate 
of Spanish valor had gone up many degrees since El Caney. 
It was known that an assault by the Americans was to fol- 
low the bombardment and those who had noted the enemy's 
preparations for defense knew that we were in for a warm 
reception and that if we charged up to the barbed wire en- 
tanglements and the trenches manj^ would not return. 
But that made little difference and we took our position in 
the trenches and waited for the opening gun from Capron's 
battery, posted on a hill in our rear. The horses and the 
Chaplain had gone to the rear and the surgeons and hospi- 
tal corps were posted in readiness for what might happen. 
Hardly had we got into the trenches when the buzzards be- 
gan to gather, and this to us was a certain indication of a 
battle. 

Noon came and the white flag of truce still waved from 
the governor's palace and the signal gun was not fired. 
Half after 12 and no change. We wondered what was up. 

n 113 



Nothing much could be seen from the trenches and nearly 
all of the boys climbed to the top and sat down with eager 
e5'es fastened upon the city we were going to capture. One 
o'clock and the white flag still floated. Now came the ' ' Jo 
Jo " department to the front once again, and the news ran 
h-um trench to trench, that Shafter had postponed the as- 
sault and given the Spaniards a few days more in which to 
make up their mind. Following this came the information 
that Gen. Toral was merely trying to gain time in order 
that 10,000 Spanish troops which were coming up, might 
attack us in the rear while Toral's men sallied out in our 
front. And then down came the rain in large and continu- 
ous sheots, soon flooding the trenches and making us forget 
the impending battle, " Jo Jo's," and everything else but 
the necessity of keeping as dry as possible. The rain lasted 
for an hour and a half, filling our lovely trenches with water 
and putting them in nice shape for a battle. But hardly 
ha,d the sun reappeared before we saw a horseman clad in 
the Khakir uniform of Shafter's staff galloping along the 
lines toward us and in his wake we saw the hats of the men 
in the trenches being thrown into the air, and the wearers 
dancing as if some extra good news had come. Reining up 
in front of the center trench where Col. Clark was, the 
horseman gave him the welcome news that the city had sur- 
rendered, and as the constantly increasing knot of officers 
and men who had got within earshot, began to get ready for 
a vocal demonstration, the aide added, "Orders are not to 
cheer, boys, for the deal isn't quite fixed up, but j^ou can 
throw your hats into the air all you wish." Well, the boys 
followed instructions and the hats went up, while the aide 
dashed over to the 8th and 22d with the news. 

And it was good news. It meant no more trench dig- 
ging, no more marching, no more fighting, and last but not 
least, as some of our long headed and practical ones figured 
it out, it meant more and varied rations, for now our ships 

114 



could come into the harbor. The trenches were quickly 
emptied and we returned to our shacks in pretty gccd 
spirits. 

It was not until three days after, on Suuda}- the 17th. 
that the formal surrender took place. The troops were as- 
sembled in front of their trenches, and as the gun announc- 
ing the hoisting of our flag over the governor's palace, 
boomed out, we cheered, and then marched back only to be 
formed in front of Col, Clark's quarters, where certain men 
were given a ''wigging" which they remembered for a long 
time. Since the 14th our men had been allowed to go freely 
outside our lines, and although not permitted to go into the 
city proper, yet they found some interesting things in the 
suburbs. One of these was the cemetery and some regulars 
and a number of Second men had gone there and thought- 
lessly taken some flowers and trinkets from some graves. 
This desecration had been reported by the Spaniards to Gen, 
Shafter and the latter " wigged " Gen. Lawtou about it. 
Lawton repeating the operation to Gen. Ludlow and the lat- 
ter giving Col. Clark and the commanding officer of the 22d 
a bad quarter of an hour. So when it came his turn. Col. 
Clark let himself out on the men, and his remarks were of 
the keen and cutting style which makes a man feel good 
when he hears some other fellow getting them. This con- 
cluded the exercises of the day and we were dismissed to 
think it over. 

Next day the ' ' Jo Jo " bureau resumed operations and we 
heard "on the best of authority," of course, that we were to 
be hustled on to Porto Rico with Gen. Miles. Next came 
the news that our brigade, having done so well was to be 
sent against Holguin in the interior of the province where 
there were some 8000 Spanish troops, who had been sur- 
rendered with those in Santiano but did not like it and pro- 
posed to fight. Within the next few days it was gravely 
announced by the " Jo Jo," that we were going to be sent 

115 



to the Philippines, as experienced and acclimated troops 
were wanted there; that we were to be sent to help capture 
Havana, marching from Santiago for that purpose, and best 
of all, that unless Spain sued for peace within a week, we 
were to embark for that country and invade it. As to the 
•' Jo Jos" about double pay, the receipt by each man of a 
lump sum of money in consideration of waiving our claims 
to a pension, etc., they were numerous and varied enough 
to fill a large book. In its " Jo Jo " bureau the Second had 
some distinguished artists. 

But the most convincing sign of all that the city had sur- 
rendered, was the arrival of rations, and they were gladly 
received. For a day or two it was the familiar bacon and 
hardtack, but soon we were surprised and gladdened b}^ the 
soiiud of mule wagons coming up the road from the cit}' and 
ladea with good looking loaves of soft bread. We then 
found that army ovens had been established in the city and 
that we would have bread in abundance. Next came some 
refrigerated beef, and it looked good and tasted better. 
Our first issue of the beef was quickly disposed of, each 
man's share being taken to the nearest fire and a " bluff " 
made at broiling it, the majority of the men being too " meat 
hungry " to do more than merely toast it. That first " beef- 
steak supper " of ours on the island is remembered yet. 
Next day came more beef, more bread and finally potatoes 
and onions, while with them were brought along rice and 
canned tomatoes and bacon and hardtack. The two latter we 
scorned. Eat hardtack and canned beef when we had fresh 
bread and meat and the materials for beef stew ? Well, we 
guessed not. But it turned out we were too proud. There 
came days when the refrigerated beef became less relished, 
especially when our noses could learn of its being on the way 
long before it reached the camp, and we were glad to fall 
baok on the despised, " sowbelly," and b}" this time in defer- 

116 



ence to our luxurious tastes, the conscience stricken commis- 
sary department was sending us something that resembled 
bacon far more than anything we had previously had, and 
that came in nice tin packages. Even the soft bread palled 
on us after a while, and we were glad to nibble a hard- 
tack now and then, especially, when as sometimes happened 
the bread was sour. 

A few days after the surrender, B company was gladdened 
bj' the arrival of its cook, Walter Butler, who had remained 
on the ship and who, on his arrival, took charge of the culi- 
nary department and began to concoct some excellent stews. 
The Buzzicot field-cooking outfits, which we had brought 
from Massachusetts with us, were also landed, and that of G 
was at once set up with Private Carl Mueller as cook and 
Corporal " Nat" Gardella and "Dido " Hunt as steward and 
assistant steward, and "Daniel" Bellamy, the well-known 
temperance orator, as chief of the wood and water depart- 
ment. Private Fisher, the company cook of K, was ill, and 
K's Buzzicot was but little used. 

The day after our arrival in this camp. Private Bates of K 
severely injured his foot while chopping wood, the axe slip- 
ping and severing one of the arteries. He was laid up for 
some days. 

G and K moved their camps to the other side of the 
trenches about the 20th, but B remained where it was. The 
wall tents which we brought with us from South Framing- 
ham and used at Lakeland and Tampa, also came up, and at 
once took the place of the * ' pup tents " we had used on the 
island. Our knapsacks and other property which we left on 
the Knickerbocker were also sent to us and we found that 
some of our things were left, although many knapsacks 
which had been left well filled, on the boat, had been 
"touched." 

Once again we began to have the same old shortage of ra- 
tions, and this time with our ships in the harbor we couldn't 

117 



understand it. One day we received two hardtack and a 
spoonful of coffee berries for a twenty-four hours issue. 
We were out of fresh meat, sugar and everything else, but 
this only lasted a couple of days and then we got fresh meat, 
vegetables and beans. 




CHAPTER XV. 

WE HAVE TO FACE ANOTHER ENEMY MORE DEADLY THAN 
THE SPANIARDS. 

ND now that the Spaniards had been conquered and 
Santiago was ours we found ourselves facing 
another enemy even more deadly than the Mauser 
bullets or the machette. Up to the surrender the 
health of our regiment, everything considered, had 
been fairlj^ good. Sickness there was to be sure, but noth- 
ing more than was to be expected in a regiment of 900 men 
subjected to the exposures and hardships incidental to a cam- 
paign in a foreign land, and these exposures supplemented 
by a ration, which even when plentiful, which was not often, 
was entirely unfitted for soldiers campaigning in a warm 
climate. Again it must be remembered that our work in 
Cuba was performed in the rainy season and that sleeping in 
mud, marching and bivouacking in the rain and fording deep 
streams are not conducive to rugged health when persisted in 
day after day. But so long as the active campaign lasted, 
the excitement and novelty of it all kept the men up. After 
the surrender, when there was little or nothing for them to 
do, they were in condition to fall an easy prey to the ' ' calen- 
tura " or malarial fever, and to the diseases of the stomach 
incident to camp life with a poorly adapted ration. Fat ba- 
con and canned beans, containing fully as much grease as 
beans, are not the kind of food the sensible man going to 



spend a time in the tropics would select for his menu, but 
that is what we got and it was eat it or nothing. 

During the active campaign many men of the regiment 
were ill from one cause or another, but as a matter of fact, 
there was nothing like a general outbreak of sickness at any 
time until some days after the surrender. A number of the 
men contracted rheumatism from sleeping on the damp 
ground and there were scattered cases of measles and stom- 
ach disorders. But the average daily sick report never went 
much beyond a dozen cases, which it must be admitted is not 
bad for an organization of nearly 1000 men living under the 
conditions which we did. 

For the first few daj'^s after Santiago surrendered all went 
well. There were propositions to move the troops further in- 
land and up into the mountains with a view of escaping any 
possibility af the dreaded yellow fever which was showing 
itself at Siboney, the houses of which village had been burned 
to the ground in order to remove the danger of infection, but 
the contemplated move was not made and we remained in 
our last station until the regiment sailed for Montauk Point. 

On the day after the surrender Col. Clark issued orders for 
daily company drills and inspections with a view of giving 
the men something to do, he recognizing, as an old soldier, 
that idleness is the worst possible thing in camp. He and 
his superiors realized, however, that the army had passed 
through a most trying, though short campaign, and that the 
men deserved a rest, but at the same time there were already 
warnings that the less active the men were, the easier they 
fell prey to the climatic diseases of the country. Even after 
we had been in our last camp for a few days, there were 
signs that the fever was at work and with our limited supply 
of medicines, it was feared that it might become epidemic. 
That these fears v/ere only too well grounded was soon to be 
made manifest. 

The day following the surrender. Col. Clark and Major 

120 



Bowen, the regimental surgeon, established a hospital in an 
old and dilapidated wooden building a couple of hundred 
yards in front of our advanced line of trenches and which 
had been used as a railwaj" staticm. It was in poor shape, 
the roof being partly gone and the flooring bad, but it was 
better than leaving the sick men in their stuffy little shelter 
tents or out in the open air. The division hospitals were al- 
ready overcrowded with wounded and sick men and the reg- 
imental commanders were notified that the}' would have to 
care for their own sick as best the}' could. Even as bad as 
the building selected for our hospital was, it was looked up- 
on with envy by the commanding officers of other regiments 
and it was even suggested to Col. Clark that he divide it up 
with the other regiments of our brigade. 

Whether it was the camping along the line of the recently 
made trenches, the earth of which was said to be full of ma- 
larial germs, or tliat the fever was already in the air that 
caused the epidemic among our men is not certain, but with- 
in a day or two after the Sunday on which the Stars and 
Stripes were hoisted over the city the fever began its career 
in our regiment and in a few days over fifty per cent, of the 
officers and men were affected with it. The daily drills soon 
had to be discontinued, for hardly enough men to make a 
decent showing were able to turn out for them in the major- 
ity of the companies. It was the same way at the daily in- 
spections. Frequently a man standing in the ranks would 
fall down in his tracks from sheer weakness and would have 
to be carried to his tent by his comrades. Soon there was no 
pretence of conforming to the orders requiring these drills 
and inspections and the men, who were able to move at all, 
did so as if their feet were encased in lead. At surgeon's 
call every morning there were sights which were enough to 
appall the stoutest hearted among us. It was directly af- 
ter reveille that this call was sounded, and then from all parts 
of the camp dreary processions of what had been strong and 

o 121 



hearty looking 3'oung men, would drag themselves slowly to 
the surgeon's tent and stand or lie on the ground waiting for 
their turn to be treated. And it must be said that the treat- 
ment was not of a sort calculated to cheer them up. The 
only medicines on hand were quinine and salts and a j)repa- 
ration for stomach disorders. Of quinine there was a plentj", 
but after a time the systems of the men, in many cases, be- 
came so saturated with it that even doses of thirty grains or 
more produced but little effect. And what hurt the bo3's 
more than the fever or anj'thing else was the feeling, right or 
wrong as it may have been, that we of the Fifth Army 
Corps, who had done our work uncomplainingly, and done it 
well, were being neglected bj' the government whose call we 
had obeyed among the first. It was known that our state 
had sent us awaj- from South Framingham with a medicine 
chest second to none in the army, and that this chest was 
even now on board of one of the transports in the harbor, 
but for all practical uses, as far off as the North Pole. Some 
of us knew that requisition after requisition for medical sup- 
plies had been sent in by our surgeon and had not been hon- 
ored, that in spite of all our surgeons and stewards could do 
it was next to an impossibility to obtain an ambulance, and 
tliat we were even denied the services of one of our assistant 
surgeons. Dr. Gates having been detailed to the Fourth in- 
fantr}', which was at that time without a medical officer, 

All these things helped the fever. Depression was its best 
ally, and then came nostalgia, the homesickness which men 
who have never experienced sneer at, but which is the bane 
of armies, and which in the Cuban campaign helped kill 
more men than the bullets of the Spaniards. For nurses for 
the sick there were only their comrades, willing enough God 
knows, but unaccustomed to the work, and with their own 
nerves and tempers wrought up to a high pitch. With lack 
of surgeons, lack of medicines, lack of nurses, lack of proper 
food, lack of proper accommodations and lack of everything 

12a 



that sick men should have, it is a wonder ihat the entire reg- 
iment was not left behind to fill graves in Cuba. 

But even a more pitiful sight than the men who answered 
the surgeon's call ever}' morning had to witness, was the 
spectacle of the poor fellows who were unable t<:) get up from 
their beds on the ground, and who la}'^ there day after day 
under the stuffy tents, their bodies burning up with the fever, 
too weak or too despairing to even accept the poor nourish- 
ment which their comrades tried to get for them, and in some 
cases so far gone with nostalgia that they refused everything 
and only wished for death. It is a known fact that fifty per 
cent, of the men of the Second who died ii; that last camp of 
ours in Cuba, died of nostalgia and nothing else. 

Meanwhile, everything that could be done with the limited 
resources at command, was being done. The company com- 
manders sent into Santiago and bought at the commissary 
stores, such decent food for sick men as could be procured, 
and through the efforts of Col. Clark, some suitaljle focd and 
delicacies were obtained from the Red Cross society. The 
Colonel also purchased, at his own expense, a number of cots 
and hammocks for the regimental hospital. 

It was indeed a trying time. Officer after officer and man 
after man went down with the fever. Adjutant Paul R. 
Hawkins was hard hit with it and was finalh' removed to 
the second division hospital. Major Henry C. Bowen, the 
regimental surgeon, also succumbed and was taken to the 
same hospital where he died. Quarterma.ster E. E. Sawtell 
was another victim but did not go to the hospital. Captain 
John J. Leonard of G, was stricken and for long days fought 
the disease in his quarters, and Lieut. Edward J. Ley den of 
his companj^ was taken to the hospital. Lieut. W. L. Young 
and Lieut. Harry J. Vesper of B were attacked, the former 
not seriously, however. There were but few men in any of 
the companies fit for duty and it was difficult to get enough 
men for the neceesary details. The drills were given up for 

123 



not enough men to make a decent showing were fit to turn 
out and it was with difficulty that enough men for regimen- 
tal and brigade guard were provided. Some necessary work 
had to be done and from brigade and division headquarters 
details were constantly being asked for and every man able 
to stand on his feet had to be pressed into service. 

The officers, during this trying time, did all in their power 
for their men, but it was not much they were able to do and 
the men felt at the time, that they should have done more. 
In this they were unjust, for the officers were suffering as 
much as the men, and the latter have since come to realize 
that manv of tht opinions expressed at this time and later, on 
this subject, were unjust. The fever and the other diseases 
spared no one, whether he wore shoulder straps or not. 

Dr. Hitchcock, our assistant surgeon, succumbed to the 
fever, and was taken to the division hospital and the surgeon. 
Dr. Bowen, soon followed him there. This left us without a 
medical officer, and for two or three days the outlook for the 
sick men of the Second was a dark one. But we w^ere then 
provided with two contract surgeons. Dr. Persons and Dr. 
Dunwoody, and both proved themselves excellent gentlemen 
and hard workers. Soon after their arrival. Dr. Gates, our 
other assistant surgeon, who had been detailed to the Fourth 
infautry, was sent back to us, and his presence was as good 
as a tonic to the siok men. His cheery smile and sympa- 
thetic ways were even better than his medicines, and for a 
time, after his return, the health of the command appeared 
to improve. Meanwhile, the famous "round robbin " had 
been sent, and its result was that the Fifth corps was ordered 
to return home as soon as transports could be procured. 
From then until August 12 the thoughts of the men were 
concentrated upon the time we were to go home. 

Meanwhile, the men who escaped the fever and other dis- 
eases, were doing all possible for their comrades. The com- 
pany officers, finding that idleness at this time was the worst 

124 



possible thing for the men who were at all able to get about, 
set them at work, and though this seemed at the time a 
hardship to the men, it turned out to be the best thing that 
could be done, for it not only served to keep them in better 
shape physically but helped to keep their minds occupied and 
prevented them from dwelling too much upon the gloomy 
situation in the camps and from thinking too much of home. 
They were encouraged and in most cases ordered to build 
raised bunks for themselves, these ser\nng to keep their bod- 
ies off the ground while sleeping, and to erect shelters of 
boughs and palm leaves instead of remaining in their shelter 
tents. When the big wall tents arrived there was no further 
need of these " shacks " but they served a useful purpose 
even if not handsome looking. 

It was not long after the surrender that we began to get 
large packages of mail, including the Springfield papers and 
it is hardly necessary to say that they were welcome. In 
these papers we found stories of the campaign and of the 
part the Second had played in the actions at El Caney and 
San Juan. Many of the letters the boys had written 
from Tampa and Cuba had been printed and in the reading 
of these there was much fun. We learned from the papers 
of the big Fourth of July celebration that had been planned 
in Springfield, and how it had been given up when the news 
of El Caney and the rumors of heavy loss in ' ' Ours " reached 
home. And we received the Fourth of July buttons which 
had been made in honor of that occasion and proudly wore 
them about the camp to the envy of some of the other com- 
panies of the regiment. It did us some good to know that 
we had not been entirely forgotten. And sometimes in the 
mails there were packages for us, sent by loving friends from 
home and welcome, whether they contained much or little. 
The arrival of the mail was an event in those days. Some- 
times all that there was could be brought from Santiago on 
the back of one horse, but there were times when one of the 

125 



two wheeled carretas was necessary to transport it. The ar- 
ray of bags would be dumped off in front of the office tent of 
the regiment and then the work of sorting out the contents 
would begin. That destined for each company having been 
piled up, there were usually enough men waiting to take it 
away, and for the next few hours the men would read their 
letters and papers and exchange news. The arrival of the 
mail was invariably followed by a time of letter writing and 
the return mail was sometimes nearly as heavy as that which 
had come in. 

As time went on the fever appeared to be wearing itself 
out and some of those who had it began to recover slowly un- 
til they were able to drag themselves around. For days 
there was a feeling that the worst was over, and this feeling 
was especially strong in our battalion, which, by the way, 
had not as j^et been as hard hit by the fever as some of the 
other sections of the regiment. But then came the yellow 
fever scare and the deaths of one or two of our men and these 
resulted in a return of the old depression and consequentl}'' 
the sickness. 

Quartermaster Sergeant Richard H. Bearse of B, was 
the first man of the Springfield companies to succumb to the 
fever and the nostalgia which accompanied it. He was ta- 
ken sick soon after the surrender, but kept up and about for 
some time, as he had all through the campaign. But he 
went down at last and the end came on rapidly. He died on 
August 1st, and there was not a man in the regiment more 
regretted for all who ever knew " Dicky " Bearse, loved him. 

The second man to go, in the battalion, was Corporal W, 
C. Piper of K, who died in the division hospital, August 5th, 
of pernicious malarial fever. He had been taken there only 
the day before and his comrades were horror stricken when 
notified of his death. The day following a detail from his 
company was sent to the hospital and buried him. Private 

126 



Paul Vesper of B, died the 10th, from the same cause as Pi- 
per, in the division hospital. 

It was a day or two afterwards that we heard of the fa- 
mous " round robin " and its result. The thought of soon 
sailing for home did much to cheer us up and we began to 
make what few preparations we had to make, although there 
was as yet nothing authentic about our going. But on the 
10th Col Clark received orders to be ready to embark on short 
notice and the news spread like wildfire through our camp. 
Our working suits which we had worn all through the cam- 
paign, and our blankets and haversacks were ordered burned 
and in place of them we were issued the khaki uniforms of 
yellow with blue facings. 

A few days before Col. John F. Marsh, of Springfield, had 
arrived, and brought with him several boxes of good things 
sent by the people of Springfield. The time was so short 
that many of the boxes were unopened and were taken to the 
ship when we sailed. Nearly all their contents were looted, 
however, during our trip to Montauk point. 

August 11th we received orders to embark the following 
day, and on the 12th those of the regiment able to march, 
fell in, and we "hiked the pike " for Santiago. With flags 
ti3-ing we marched through the Calle de. Marina, or Marine 
street, and after a short wait on a pier, were put on a lighter 
and taken off to the transport Mobile, already occupied by 
the other two regiments of our brigade and a number of 
horses. The sick officers and men were sent to the pier in 
ambulances and those able to walk not only had to do that, 
but were also obliged to handle all the baggage, a job that 
would have been child's play at other times, but which in our 
debilitated condition was a task almost beyond our strength. 
Col. Clark had been attacked with the fever that morning 
and was unable to do anything. Lieut. Col. Shumway was 
so ill as to be unfit for duty but he stuck it out and did what 
he could. Lieut. Hawkins and Lieut. Ley den were brought 

127 



down from the division hospital and Lieut. Vesper was 
brought down from his tent in our camp by Captain Crosier 
of D. Company. 

Meanwhile there were a number of our men sick in their 
quarters or in the hospitals who could not be moved to the 
ship, besides others who had been spotted as " suspicious " 
cases by the surgeons on the day previous, and ordered to 
remain behind, it being feared that they were in the first sta- 
ges of yellow fever. It was necessary that some remain be- 
hind to care for these poor fellows, but who to detail to this 
hard duty was a problem which Col. Clark finally solved by 
detailing Lieut. W. H. Plummer of A. Company of Worces- 
ter, and a detail of one man from each company in the regi- 
ment to remain. Private Dozilva Lamoreaux of G, Private 
Robert A. Draper of B and Private Albert Marsden of K vol- 
unteered to compose this detail from our companies, and their 
sacrifices in doing this will not be forgotten by their com- 
rades. 

Privates Little, Stetson, Brownell and Dunn of G com- 
pany, Corporal John B. Fulton, and Privates Judd, Rivers, 
Champagne, Smith, Wheeler and Frey of B companj^ and 
Privates Maynard, Solace and Hall of K were left behind on 
the island, either sick or as yellow fever suspects when the 
regiment was ordered home. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

OUR VOYAGE HOMEWARD ON THE DEATH SHIP MOBILE. 

*^UR voyage homeward on the Mobile was not 
exactly a pleasant one. At the very outset we 




again found that in army language we were ' ' up 
against it." Our entire brigade, composing some 
1500 officers and men, were on the boat, which, 
although large, was not fitted up in very good shape for 
transport service and as a result there was at first much 
overcrowding. The Mobile had recently conveyed a cargo 
of mules to Porto Rico and on her return from that duty 
had lain for several days in the festering harbor of Santiago 
so that her sanitary condition could not be termed an ideal 
one. The officers were crowded together in her few state- 
rooms and as for the men they were jammed below decks 
and above decks in any old way. The Eighth and Twenty- 
second regiments had been on board some time before our 
regiment arrived and of course had appropriated the best 
portions of the ship to themselves, something for which they 
could not be blamed so very much. 

That evening we of the Second just simply "bunked" 
anywhere we could and as a rule we went to bed supperless, 
for everything was in such a mixed up condition there was 
no effort made at gi\'ing out rations. And on our arrival 
we found that we were to pass another time with our old 
friends, the canned "beef" and the nourishing and pala- 



table (!) travel rations. After bidding them farewell, as we 
thought, forever, this was felt to be the worst blow we had 
yet suffered but there was no use ' ' kicking " and we made 
the best of it. Fortunately or unfortunately, as one looks 
at it, the ma,"]\)rity of the men had money enough to pur- 
chase quantities of canned fruits and delicacies before they 
left Santiago and tliese helped us out to some extent. 

What we at first thought was a blessing but which after- 
ward turned out to be the reverse was the presence of a large 
tank of ice water below decks to which we freely helped 
ourselves and with evil effect upon some of the men who 
developed dysentery from indulging too freely in the cold 
liquid. After a day or two the ice water was shut off from 
the men, and they were compelled to drink the regular 
ship's water. There was any amount of grumbling at this 
but it was the best thing to be done under the circumstances. 

We remained in the harbor the night of the 12th and 
early on the 13th, our old '"hoodoo" number being with us 
again, the Mobile swung her nose around and steamed down 
the harbor. Every man able to be up was on deck as We 
started out and realized that we were homeward bound at 
last. There were mighty few regrets expressed at leaving 
Cuba and our chief concern noAv was to reach home as 
quickly as possible. It was known that our destination was 
Montauk Point, L. I., and beyond that our information was 
a trifle hazy. 

Passing down the harbor we came to the Merrimac as she 
lay about where Hobson had sunk her and we could see that 
she was not of much avail in stopping the channel. A little 
further we passed the wreck of the Reina Mercedes as she 
lay where the shells from our warships had put her out of 
business and just a little distance further along we passed 
out under the frowning walls and grim looking guns of Cas- 
tle Morro, over which our flag was now floating. On the 
other side of the harbor entrance was an unimportant look- 

130 



ing sand battery, but it was fix)m it that the Spanish guns 
did their most effective work against our fleet. One turn 
more and we were out of the harbor and again on the 
bounding billows. 

This day quarters were assigned the various companies of 
our regiment below decks. The men were supplied with 
hammocks and as these had to be slung close together and 
the men were just a bit unfamiliar witii their management 
there were many tumbles out of bed that night. We found 
the sleeping .accommodations on the Mobile suberb. If you 
say that word "superb" quick it sounds well and that's the 
way we said it. A number of the men were obliged to sleep 
on deck and under a covering of loose planks and as it hap- 
pened to rain two or three nights in succession, they did not 
hke their sleeping quarters any too well. 

The steward of the Mobile was an Englishman, Hke all 
her officers, and he was a direct descendant of thieves and 
inherited all their instincts of robbery. He thought nothing 
of charging S5 for a half -pint of vile liquor and his prices 
for an3'thing else he could sell were in proportion. He con- 
tracted with some of the company commanders to furnish a 
number of loaves of bread each day for the men but the 
loaves turned out to be nothing more than biscuits and the 
prices asked were so exorbitant that a complaint was made 
to the captain of the ship and the steward was compelled to 
make restitution. 

One of the first incidents of our passage homeward was 
the stopping of the Mobile b}' a United States gunboat on 
our second evening out from Santiago harbor. It seems 
that the Mobile was not showing just the proper lights and 
the gunboat steamed close to her to investigate, firing a 
blank charge across her bows as a signal to stop. The 
Mobile stopped. Then after a brief colloijuy between the 
little gunboat and the big Mobile the latter was allowed to 
proceed. It should be said, however, that when the officers 

331 



and crew of the gunboat ascertained that the Second Massa- 
chusetts was on board they gave us three hearty cheers. 

Life on board the Mobile was not a bit more luxurious 
than it had been on the Knickerbocker or in Cuba. We had 
the same old travel rations and no means of cooking them. 
After the first day out an arrangement was made whereby 
Walter Butler, the cook for B company, was to have the use 
of the crew's galley to make coffee for the three Springfield 
companies. Walter did as well as he could under difficulties 
but ofttimes the water used in making the coffee was so 
poor in quality that the concoction was not exactly palata- 
ble. But it was better than ship's water. 

The men messed as best they could. The officers had 
their meals in the dining saloon, paying $1 a day for them 
and they were not over luxurious. Neither were their quar- 
ters, for with the entire brigade on board the staterooms 
were insufficient to accommodate them all and they were 
forced to double up and in some instances three officers were 
assigned to one room and forced to "bunk "as best they 
could. 

Many of the officers and men were just out of hospitals, 
and for them the voyage was a harder trial than those who 
were officially in good health. The ship's hospital was 
established on the aft deck and was protected from the ele- 
ments only by canvas awnings and during the two or three 
times it rained during the ve^yage the sick men were 
drenched as thej' lay in their cots or hammocks. Surgeon 
Gates and Dr. Piersons, the contract surgeons who had done 
so much for our regiment in front of Santiago, were inde- 
fatigable in their attendance upon our sick and so were the 
hospital stewards, but the medical supplies were as usual 
insufficient and the accommodations entirely inadequate. 
Two men were detailed each day to assist in caring for the 
sick men from their companies and while of course they 
meant to do all they could for their comrades their perform- 

132 



ance very often fell far short of their intentions. Naturally 
the sick men were often peevish and troublesome and it can- 
not be said that the lot of the attendants was a very pleasant 
one. 

On our second day out occurred the first death in the regi- 
ment, Sergeant Harold B. Wentworth of C company, who 
had been ill with typhoid fever and malaria. His body was 
buried at sea a few hours after death and the sad event was 
the first of a series during the voyage. Private George 
Higgins of F company was the next victim, his death occur- 
ing on tb.e 15th. 

August 17th was a black day for the Second. At 12.30 
that morning Second Lieut. Harry J. Vesper of B company 
died after a long illness, with gastritis and malaria. He 
was a very sick man when brought on board but was nursed 
and cared for as tenderly as possible during the voyage. 
Private James Ryan of B was detailed as his attendant and 
was constantly with him, but even the best of care could not 
have saved him. The same day his body, wrapped in the 
folds of the American flag, was lowered into the deep, the 
Mobile being hove to for the purpose. The band of the 22d 
regiment played appropriate airs and Chaplain Wellwood of 
the Second conducted the services. The burial was nearly 
off Cape Hatteras, Lieut. Vesper, who was one of the 
most popular officers of the regiment, met his fate bravely 
and died in merciful ignorance of the fact that his brother. 
Private Paul Vesper of B company, had died a few days 
before the regiment left Cuba. At that time Lieut. Vesper 
was ill in the division hospital and it was deemed best to 
keep the knowledge of his brother's fate from him. 

On this same day another B company man, Wagoner 
Paul J. Kingston, answered his final roll call, dying in the 
afternoon. Privates Earle C. Clark of H company and 
Franklin W. Manning of M company, made up the death roll 
for the day and their bodies were given to the sea. 

133 



On the 18th Privates Charles H. Cranston and Henry C. 
Collins, both of I company of Northampton, died and on the 
20th just before we landed at Montauk Point Sergeant 
Ryder of E company passed away. On the voyage from 
Santiago to Montauk our regiment lost ten, one officer and 
nine men, and it is no wonder that the Mobile was referred 
to as a "death ship." 

It is no wonder either, under these circumstances, that the 
men became depressed. Cooped up in an ill-smelling hold 
during the night, fed on unsuitable food and seeing the bod- 
ies of their comrades cast overboard day after daj' it was 
not strange that they became blue. But happily the voyage 
did not last long for on the afternoon of the 19th we sighted 
Montauk Point and knew that in a day or two we would be 
on good United States soil once more. 

It was night when the Mobile cast anchor and early the 
next morning she was towed into what we supposed was 
quarantine. We passed several steamers with the yellow 
quarantine flag hoisted at their stems and after a while the 
Mobile anchored and some quarantine officers came aboard 
and inspected the passengers and crew. Fortunately this 
ceremony did not last long and when it was over the M<»bile 
was brought alongside a wharf as we in our innocence sup- 
posed to allow us to land. 

But as it happened we were not to land that day. On the 
wharf were sentries and those of '*Ours" who happened to 
get as far as the wharf were at once driven back. Neither 
was any one allowed at first to come aboard. As we swung 
in tbe stream before the Mobile got to the wharf a small boat 
containing some Springfield newspaper men attempted to get 
within reach of the Mobile, but she was ordered away and 
at the wharf it was some time before anj'body was allowed 
to come aboard the Mobile. The first Springfield man we 
saw was Dr. David Clark, the surgeon for years of the Sec- 
ond while it was in the mihtia service. He finally came on 

134 



board and was at once surrounded by the men of the three 
Springfield companies so that it was some httle time before 
he made his way to the quarterdeck, where Col. Clark and 
the officers were awaiting him. He brought plenty of news 
for us and much information concerning Montauk Point and 
the arrangement of the camps there. At the same time 
came aboard baskets of sand^viches and fruit which Dr. 
Clark had provided. Thanks to the kindness of Dr. Clark 
many messages were sent from the ship to the anxious ones 
at home announcing the safe arrival of the Mobile and that 
the senders were well. 

It was not until the next day that we were allowed to land 
and it was a sad spectacle to watch the disembarkation of the 
gallant Second from tlie ship. The men who were able to 
walk got down the steep gang plank in some kind of order 
and after an attempt at regimental formation, marched up 
to the quarantine camp, a distance of some two and a half 
miles, over the very roughest kind of a road. The sick were 
transported in mule wagons and they did not find the ride a 
very pleasant one. On arrival at the camp it was found all 
laid out with large wall tents arranged in company streets and 
the majority of the teats equipped with board floors, a luxury 
we had not experienced for many moons. Rough sinks had 
been made in rear of the company streets and supplies of soft 
bread, fruits and milk were waiting for us. A number of the 
sick officers and men were taken directly over to the hospi- 
tals and it began to look as if things might be half decent 
after all. 




CHAPTER XVII 

WE AND OUR FRIENDS ENJOY OURSELVES AT CAMP 
WIKOFP, MONTAUK POINT. 

ROM the beginning it was evident that our Hnes in 
Camp Wikoff were to be cast in more pleasant 
places than had been the case since we left Lakeland 
in June. To be sure the detention camp was not an 
abode of princely luxury and there were shortcom- 
ings in plenty about it, but there was an honest effort to care 
for our comfort. There were but few of the officers and 
men in our regiment in good health and even the men who 
did not go to the hospitals were in bad shape physically, but 
the knowledge of the fact that we were on United States soil 
at last and that but a short time would elapse before we 
would be en route for home was better than medicine. Then, 
too, there was the great improvement in our food, which was 
worth something, and there was the presence of our friends 
from Springfield, including some who had made all manner 
of sacrifices and had endured toil, discomforts and trouble to 
get to us with help and cheer. 

No one can doubt but what it was the full intent of 
those in authority at Washington to treat the returned sol- 
diers from Cuba in the best possible manner, but it is a matter 
of common knowledge that as a paving material for a cer- 
tain warm place good intentions is the very best material yet 



devised by the arch enemy of mankind. The performance at 
Montauk fell far short of the promise and this was aided by 
the over oflBciousness of some very young and very fresh oflfi- 
cers who had no idea beyond the blind following of red tape 
regulations no matter what might happen. It was to these 
officers that the delay and vexatious troubles experienced by 
Dr. David Clark of Springfield in his mission of mercy 
to us of the Second can be attributed and others associated 
with him had to face the same difficulties. The story of how 
Dr. Clark, Lieut. T. A. Sweeney and others were "held up " 
at the mouth of the rapid fire guns of the converted yacht 
Aileen by one Lieut. Rhodes, whose name is still cursed by 
every Second regiment man, is still fresh in the minds of all 
of us and it was only when the presumptuous yourg oflBcer 
was made to realize that he was not the onl}" thing that ever 
happened that the supplies sent to us by loving hands in 
Springfield reached us. There is the memory too of the long 
and weary hours Dr. Clark spent underneath the pier at 
Montauk in order to remain inside the guard lines and be on 
hand to greet us when our ship came in. There are the 
memories of the good work done for us by our old surgeon 
when the Second was a militia regiment, Major Brown of 
North Adams, and of Lieut, Sweeney, E. S. Bradford, P. H. 
Quinn, Charles Lathrop as the representative of Dr, D. J, 
Brown, T. W. Hyde, and last but by no means least of 
Frank P. Frost of Springfield, who as the personal repre- 
sentative of Henry S. Lee, worked like a beaver day and 
night. The Springfield newspaper men, too, should not be 
forgotten and the thanks of many a poor fellow are due to H. 
L. Hines, G. H. Atwood and Frank Lee of the Union and 
to H. K. Regal of the Repuhlican and T. W . Burgess of the 
Homestead for many kindnesses and unfailing sympathy. 

The sad scenes attending the disembarkation of the Second 
from the Mobile will not be forgotten for many a day by 
those who witnessed or participated in them. A number of 

q 137 



the sick men were taken off late in the afternoon of the 19th, 
but when dusk fell Gen. Young, the commander of the camp, 
refused to allow any more to be brought ashore until the next 
day. The next mornmg the exodus from the ship began at 
an early hour and continued until at last we were all ashore. 
First came the sick in a ghastly procession down the steep 
gang planks and into the ambulances which were to convey 
them to the hospitals and the sight of the poor fellows was 
pathetic in the extreme. The sick ashore, then came those 
able to walk or totter and these men, the majority of them 
wrecks of their once vigorous selves, dragged themselves to 
the pier laden down with their baggage and fell in for the 
naarch to the camp. Those unable to walk were piled into 
mule wagons and the procession started. 

It was not a long march, but it was a fatiguing one for 
the men and they were glad when the big wall tents assigned 
to the Second appeared. This was the "detention" camp 
for in the eyes of the medical officers we were still suspects 
even if we had passed quarantine, and we were to be isolated 
for five days. It was not a bad camp. The tents were new 
and clean and many of them were provided with board floors, 
a luxury that reminded us of our militia daj'S at South Fram- 
iugham. It had been the intention of the war department to 
provide straw for us to sleep on but like many other intentions 
it was not fulfilled until Secretary Alger happened to visit the 
camp of the Second and found no straw. Then some came 
along in a hurry. There were cooking outfits, too, and the 
days of the canned roast beef and the other constituents of 
the palatable and nourishing (?) travel ration were numbered. 
In their place came the appetizing beef stew, the roast beef, 
soft bread and cool milk. There were also canned delicacies, 
and fruite, and tobacco in plenty. In fact, there were too 
many good things for some of the boys, as the hospital rec- 
ords attest. 

It is needless to say that the hospitals were filled. 

138 



They were overcrowded, and that, too, in spite of the fact 
that additions were put on as fast as possible. The hospitals 
were of canvas but with raised floors and were equipped with 
cots. What the emotions of the sick boys were when they 
actually' found themselves lying on a bed and between clean 
white sheets, and tended by kind and devoted nurses can be 
imagined. Not only that but they were given plenty of nour- 
ishing food and medicine was in plenty. After the lack of 
everything of the hospitals in Cuba the contrast was sharp, 
even though the Montauk hospitals lacked some things. As 
for the nurses and the doctors there was nothing they were 
unwilling to do to help the sick. Many of the nurses were 
Sisters of Charity or Sisters of Mercy, others were from the 
Red Cross society, others volunteers, but all were actuated by 
the same motives, and worked unremittingly to do all in their 
power for the boys. Some of the doctors were army sur- 
geons and others were contract surgeons, but all worked 
alike. Then, too, there were any number of volunteer hos- 
pital assistants, all zealous to help us, some of them a little 
too much so, and it was a rare thing for the sick men in a 
hospital ward to lack for attention. Diet kitchens were 
established and a system of looking after convalescent and 
furloughed soldiers was established. In this work the noble 
efforts of the Massachusetts Volunteer Aid Association was 
pre-eminent and there are none of us who will forget what 
its representatives did, not only at Camp Wikoff but after 
our return to our homes. Not only did the society work 
among the soldiers from Massachusetts, but many a regular 
soldier was aided and comforted by its representatives. 

Under the influence of proper care and food the men in the 
hospitals and the camps began to improve and though man}' 
died, yet more recovered. As soon as a soldier inmate of 
the hospital was anywhere near convalescence he was given 
a furlough to his home and transportation furnished him. 
At first these furloughs were only for ten days but after a bit 

139 



they were lengthened to 30 days so that when the Second 
came to leave Montauk a good percentage of the officers and 
men had preceded it home. A large number of the sick men 
were taken from the camp hospital and sent to New York, 
New London, New Haven and other places where the local 
hospitals had opened their doors to the soldiers and where the 
care they received was in some respects better than that pos- 
sible under the crowded conditions- at Montauk. 

In spite or all that could be done at Montauk there were 
many instances of individual hardship and although it 
seemed as if there were at least two or three people anxious 
and willing to look after every soldier yet there were cases of 
apparently unnecessary suffering. Soldiers discharged from 
the hospitals as convalescent would be sent to the depot at 
Montauk, a good two miles from the hospital, on foot and 
would be compelled to wait for hours in the hot sun before 
they could get transportation orders. At the depot there 
were often good men and women with cans of milk or lemon- 
ade and food, but even their zealous efforts could not prevent 
some suffering. All this was perhaps inseparable from the 
overcrowded condition of the camp and hospitals and the fact 
that there were not nearly enough officers to do the work 
properly. 

On the 24th the regiment was released from quarantine and 
moved from the detention to the general camp. By this time 
rumors that we were to be f urloughed and sent home were 
rife again and tho date was finally fixed for the 26th. Mean- 
while there had been some important visitors in our camp, 
including Col. Roosevelt, Secretary of War Alger and Gen. 
Wheeler and they all had good words to say for the Second. 
Also there were many visitors from Springfield and Western 
Massachusetts and the men were fed upon all kinds of delica- 
cies, in some cases to the detriment of their health. 

Musician Frank P. Jones of K company was the only 
Springfield man to die in Montauk, his death occuring on the 

140 



27th, after he had suffered for days with malarial fever of 
the Cuban type. He had not been ill in Cuba but the seeds 
i»f tlie disease lodged in his system there and in his weak 
ccmdition when we landed at Montauk he was unable to 
resist it. We lieard while at Montauk of the death in Cuba 
of Private Arthur M. Buruham of K and there were many 
regrets among his comrades. Private Burnham was ill when 
tiie regiment left Santiago for home and so was left behind. 

On the 25th verbal orders furloughing the Second for 60 
days were recieved and the regiment was ordered to be in 
readiness the next day to proceed home. At the expiration 
of the luriough the regiment was to be mustered out at 
South Framingham but this was afterwards changed to 
Spriugtield. The officers and men were all ready on the 26th 
tu ^o home and the night before had been spent in packing 
up and putting everything in shape. The rifles and equip- 
ments had been turned in and the morning was eagerly an- 
ticipated. There was much disappointment when the day- 
came and there were no signs of an immediate movement 
from the camp. Hour after hour passed and when it was 
finally ascertained that the departure was deferred to the next 
day because of a lack of transportation, there was nothing 
but disappointment from the commanding officer down to the 
privates. But the Second had by this time learned resigna- 
tion and so the men waited through the long day and the 
equally long night for the word that the boat which was to 
convey the regiment to New London was ready. 

The night of the 26th was made memorable by a wild 
stampede of a number of horses of the cavalry through the 
camp of the Second. The animals were being led to water 
and in some manner became frightened and getting away 
from the man in charge ran pell mell through the company 
streets of the regiment, upsetting stacks of arms and tents 
and leaving everything in much disorder. Fortunately no 
one was injured. 

141 



There was but little sleep in the camp that night. The 
boys were too much excited over the prospect of being at 
home on the morrow to care much for slumber, and they 
were up long before reveille sounded. Breakfast was hastily 
cooked and eaten and the outfit, or what was left of it, fell in 
for the march to the boat, some three miles away. There 
were ambulances for the sick and these were filled again and 
again. The men able to march were not numerous, and the 
companies did not have full ranks by any means. The men 
were without arms and clad in all sorts of uniforms, the yel- 
low and blue Khaki predominating, although there were some 
who preferred the old militia blue uniforms they had worn 
from South Framingham. The regiment finally started for 
the pier amid the cheers of the 22d and other regiments it 
passed, and a short time after embarking was once more on 
the water but bound for home this time. The sick men who 
were unable to stand the journey were left in the hospital and 
those allowed to go were carefully looked after. 

Arrived at New London the regiment fell at once into good 
hands. The people of that city had known of its coming and 
delegations were on hand when the boat came in, with food 
and refreshments for the boys. Jleanwhile preparations had 
been made by the militia authorities of the state, and the peo- 
ple of Springfield and other places interested in the Second^ 
to look after the men. Gen. Dalton had sent a detail of staff 
officers to Springfield with full power as to expenses to see 
that the returning soldiers who had shed credit upon Massa* 
chusetts were properly looked after, and a special train had 
been made up to go to New London to bring them on from 
there. Food and refreshments were taken on the train, and 
representatives of state and city were on board to render all 
possible assistance. The trip was a comparatively short one. 
At Palmer the three Worcester companies and F of Gardner 
were transferred to a train for their destination while the 
other companies came on to Springfield. 

142 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

in which is told how we prepare to quit uncle 
sam's service. 

HE home coming of Springfield's soldiers was not as 
glittering or gay a spectacle as had been counted 
upon by those who watched us march away on the 
^^ morning of May 3d. That morning was a rainy 
and disagreeable one and there were many who con- 
soled themselves in thinking of the rather tame character of 
our farewell, that when we returned the scene would be a far 
more cheerful and inspiriting one. It wasn't. For days and 
days, ever since the story of our losses at El Caney and San 
Juan had been known and the people had become somewhat 
familiar with the tales of sickness and suffering in Cuba and 
Camp Wikoff, the return of the boys had been anxiously 
awaited, but when the time came, when it was known for a 
certainty that the companies were to return, there was a com- 
mon feeling that the occasion would be an ill timed one for 
any display of ceremony or pageantry, and as it became more 
known that the majority of the oflBcers and men were in the 
poorest possible condition to stand the strain of an official, or 
even a semi-official welcome it was settled that their return 
was to be as quiet as possible. 

The coming of the regiment from Montauk had been ex- 
pected on the 26th and in anticipation a huge crowd had 



gathered at the union station to meet the soldiers. But the 
people were repaid for hours of waiting by the arrival only 
of a few men who had been f urloughed from the hospitals. 
On the next day it was soon known that the regiment winild 
surely arrive and long before the hour set for the special 
train to arrive from New London the station and its ap- 
proaches were crowded with people, including the relatives 
and friends of the members, not only of the Springfield com- 
panies but of the companies from the other sections of West- 
ern Massachusetts. In view of the condition of the i^oldiers 
special efforts had been made to impress upon the people that 
the less excitement the men were made to undergo the better 
for them and to this end the station approaches were roped 
off and a large force of police was on hand to keep a passage- 
way clear from the cars to the carriages which had been pro- 
vided to bear the officers and men to their homes or wherever 
they felt inclined to go. 

The state and the city co-operated well in making plans for 
the comfort of the returning soldiers. Gov. Wolcott was on 
hand when the special train rolled in and three members of 
his staff had been at work for several days previous assisting 
in the preparations for the reception of the men. Mayor 
Dickinson and the city officials had done everything in their 
power to aid the soldiers and with them at all times were tlio 
officers and members of the Volunteer Aid as.sociatiou and 
many private citizens, good men and women who labored 
zealously in the good cause. Others there were, too, not 
connected officially with state or city or with any society, but 
whose work was ably done and is never to be forgotten. 

At 2.58 in the afternoon the train came in and the 10,000 
people in waiting set up a cheer at the initiative of Gov. 
Wolcott. Then the people pressed hard against the ropes 
which marked the clear space on the platform through which 
the men were to go and the police officers had their hands full 
for a time in keeping them back. The north side waiting 

144 



room had been cleared of occupants and outside were hun- 
dreds of pubHc and private carriages waiting to carry the 
boys wherever they might wish. And in this one detail of 
carriages the thoughtf ulneas of the people of the city as well 
as their willingness to do all in their power for the boys of 
the Second were shown. Scores of them had volunteered eht 
use of their carriages that day and their offers had been 
gladly accepted, for in the majoritj" of cases the men were 
hardly able to walk any distance, and a ride on a jolting 
electric car would not have been the best thing in the world 
for them. But there were carriages in plenty and the men 
were quickly and carefully conveyed either to their homes or 
the hospitals. 

When the train stopped the people detailed to look after 
the disembarkation of the men at once got to work and the 
boj's were quickly but tenderly taken through the waiting 
room and placed in the carriages. There were many who 
were unable to walk even this short distance unassisted, but 
in the majority of cases the men were so glad to be once 
more at home that the excitement kept them up and some 
lingered about on the platform, exchanging greetings with 
their relatives or friends in the crowd. A number of physi- 
cians were on hand to look after any of the men who were in 
immediate need of their attention and in many other ways 
provision had been made for all. The majority of the men 
were driven directly to their homes. Others went to the 
House of Mercy or the Springfield hospital. 

The 10,000 or more people which greeted the returned ones 
did so in sober but cordial fashion. There was no demon- 
strative welcome, for common sense told the people that it 
would have been the worst thing possible for the men whom 
the crowd wanted to honor. They were in no condition to 
endure such a welcome aud what they wanted was to get to 
their homes or a resting place as quickly as possible. When 
the Second went away it was in the blue uniform of the mili- 

r 146 



tia of Massachusetts. The men in the ranks were all young 
and vigorous and looked a composite picture of youth and 
strength. When they came back it was in the faded yellow 
khaki uniforms issued to them in Cuba, although a few still 
wore the blue. The natty uniforms of the oflBcers were worn 
and soiled and the faces of all were haggard and in many 
cases the beards of veterans had replaced the smooth cheeks 
and chins of the militiaman. On almost every face was the 
badge of the campaign against the pestilential fevers of Cuba 
and the sunken cheek-bones and emaciated forms bore elo- 
quent witness to the hardships and sufferings that had been 
undergone. It had been no holiday excursion for the gallant 
Second. 

For days and weeks after the return the greatest interest 
was shown in the welfare of the men. Physicians placed 
their services at the disposal of the Volunteer Aid association 
and that body kept actively at work in its efforts to care for 
the men. Seme of the boys were able to be out on the streets 
and in public places immediately after their arrival but in 
the majority of cases the men were glad enough to stay at 
home. Others were too ill to make their appearance in pub- 
lic, but those who were had no reason to complain of any 
lack of interest in them or their doings in Cuba. Columns 
were published daily in the newspapers concerning the condi- 
tion of the sick men and the experiences of the well ones and 
the sight of the worn campaign uniform on the street was the 
occasion for a gathering of interested people. But as time 
went on the interest slackened, as it is in the nature of things 
so to be, the men showed a marked preference for citizens' 
dress instead of the uniform, and settled down again to the 
ordinary ways of life while waiting for their furloughs to 
expire and their muster out of the service of Uncle Sam. 

There had been much concern expressed over the orders 
instructing the Second to assemble at South Framingham for 
muster-out and there was much satisfaction when it was 

146 



known that the orders had been changed and that Springfield 
had been selected as the place. It was felt that this was fit- 
ting and proper and both the local members of the regiment 
and the people of the city were well pleased at the decision of 
the war department. 

Meanwhile the men who had been left behind in Cuba, at 
Montauk and in hospitals at other places continued to arrive 
home and some time before the expiration of their furlough 
nearly all the surviving members of the Second were at 
home. From Cuba came the men who were loft behind too 
sick to be moved when the regiment left for home and with 
them the men who had volunteered or been detailed to remain 
care for them. But all of them did not come. Privates 
Little and Stetson of G company had succumbed to disease 
and Dr. H. C. Bowen, the surgeon of the Second, was also a 
victim. He was in the division hospital when the regiment 
sailed and his death soon followed. 

The fate which befell Dr. Bowen was a hard one. Enthu- 
siastic to volunteer at the outbreak of the war he was 
assigned to duty as the surgeon of the Second with the rank 
of major and he had high hopes of a useful career in the 
army as had his friends for him. But he was totally with- 
out experience in army medical life, his assistant surgeons, 
though young and enthusiastic in their profession, were also 
inexperienced in this line of w^ork and at the very outset he 
and they were thwarted and discouraged by their incessant 
conflicts with army red tape and the consequent difficulty in 
obtaining needed medical supplies for the regiment. Time 
and time again Major Bowen sent in requisition after requi- 
sition but no supplies came in answer to them and had it not 
been for the finely appointed medical and surgical outfit fur- 
nished by the state of Massachusetts the ecjuipment of the 
Second would have been meager indeed. With these on 
hand the lack of proper government supplies was not seri- 
ously felt until after the landing in Cuba and then with the 

147 



brilliancy which marked so many other features of the cam- 
paign, the Second's medical chest whs not brought ashore, 
but was left on board the Knickerbocker until some time 
after the surrender of Santiago. As a result the medical 
supplies were short and though he tried again and again 
Major Bo wen could obtain no more. Soon after he landed 
he was attacked by the malarial fever and though at first it 
was in a mild form it combined with the discouragements to 
which he had been subjected to make him low-spirited and 
not altogether a genial minister to the sick men or a com- 
panion at the mess. Directly after the battle of El Caney 
Assistant Surgeon Gates was taken from the Second and 
attached temporarily to the Fourth infantry, which regiment 
had no surgeon and Assistant Surgeon Hitchcock became 

ill so that the entire work of caring for the Second was 
thrown upon Major Bowen. This added to bis other 
troubles and his own illness resulted in making the latter 
extremely serious and though he struggled against it for 
many weeks he was at last forced to give up. Before this he 
had manfully stuck to his post and tried in every way to do 
his duty but results of his failing health and his heavy bur- 
den of work were mistaken b}' many of the oflScers and men 
for lack of sympathetic feeling and for this he was criticized. 
This criticism was a mistaken one, for at bottom Major 
Bowen was of a kindly and sympathetic nature but it was 
his misfortune to have his illness and troubles put a veneer 
of mpatience upon his normal disposition and this conveyed 
the mistaken idea referred to above. In his service with the 

Second Major Bowen did all possible for a man to do and 
those who knew the heavy burden under which he toiled 
have always been willing to accord him the tribute he was 
justly entitled to. He died in the Second division hospital 
just outside of Santiago. Some months after his body was 
exhumed and sent to his family in Westfield. There was 
some mystery concerning the whereabouts of his watch and 

148 



other effects but some time after his death they were acci- 
dentally discovered in New Orleans and restored to his 
parents. 

At Montauk Point K company suffered a loss in the death 
of Musician Frank P. Jones, who succumbed to fever in the 
camp hospital August 27th. All through the campaign in 
Cuba Musician Jones not only kept himself well and his 
spirits up but his cheery speech did much to help his com- 
rades. It was not until he reached Montauk that he gave in 
to the disease which laid so many of the Second low. 

Even after the regiment had returned home and the sick 
men were being given the best of medical attention and care 
in their homes or in the hospitals the death angel did not 
cease. On Sept. 13th Corporal Patrick J. Noone of G com- 
pany died at his home after a long illness with the fever and 
two days later his remains were escorted to the grave by his 
comrades and laid to rest after the three volleys which mark 
the soldier's burial had been fired. On October 8, Private 
Frank Burke of G died and was laid to rest in the same 
cemetery. 

Meanwhile in both the Mercy and the Springfield hospitals 
all that was possible was being done for the sick ' 'soldier 
boys, " and physicians and nurses were untiring in their 
efforts. Both institutions had many soldier patients and 
they will long remember the devoted care and kindnesses 
they received. 

All this time preparations for the muster-out of the Second 
had been going steadily on. It had been settled that the 
outfit was to be formally discharged from the United States 
service in Springfield and on Sept. 28th First Lieut. Oliver 
Edwards, 11th Infantry U. S. A., came on to assist in the 
work preliminary to muster-out. There was considerable to 
be done in the way of getting ready for the ceremony and 
there were many things to be explained to both officers and 
men before all was in readiness. In the effort to have every- 

149 



thing clearly understood and all the "kinks" straightened 
out Lieut. Edwards was untiring and he made a most favor- 
able impression upon all with whom his duties brought him 
in contact. 




CHAPTER XIX. 

WE BECOME PLAIN CITIZENS ONCE MORE AND SQUARE 
ACCOUNTS WITH UNCLE SAM. 

;CTOBER 3cl, 1898, is one of the *' star" days in the 
history of the Second, that being the day on which 
we ceased to be soldiers of the United States and 
became plain and humble citizens once more. Inci- 
dentally it was something of a day for Springfield for 
one of the features of the muster-out was a brief parade of the 
regiment from the railway station to the state armory, where 
the exercises occurred. Before that, the armory had been for 
some time the scene of much activity. The furlough of the 
regiment, given it at Montauk, had expired October 24th, 
aud for the rest of the time preceding muster-out the oflficers 
and men were required to make the armory their home dur- 
ing the day. Their meals were served there, a contract being 
made with a Springfield caterer, and it can be said that the 
daily menu was far more satisfactory than those we had in 
the campaign although the government paid for both. Dur- 
ing this period, the oflScers and men were also required to ap- 
pear in uniform and the streets took on a decidedly military 
appearance. Much interest was shown by the people of the 
city in everything that pertained to the muster-out and the 
armory had many visitors daily. But it was all play in those 
days for some of the officers and men. There is a lot of red 



tape and formality connected with putting volunteer organ- 
izations out of the United States service, and there was plen- 
ty of work to be done in making out rolls and all sorts of 
papers, so that those detailed for this work were kept busy 
for many days. 

Finally on the 3d of October, all the companies of the Sec- 
ond were assembled in Springfield, the local companies 
marching to the railway station to meet them and after pass- 
ing in review before the city officials at the city hall, the reg- 
iment marched to the armor}' for muster-out. The parade, 
the first appearance of the Second since it left for the front, 
brought out thousands of people to watch the men who had 
done good service on a foreign soil, and had watered it with 
the blood of many who had marched awaj' on the morning of 
May 3d. The regiment presented a curious sight in some 
respects and as a spectacle it must be said the affair was not 
an altogether happy one. The men were without rifles or 
equipments, some wore the faded khaki uniform issued just 
before leaving Cuba, others the old blue outfits of the Massa- 
chusetts militia and the ranks were thinner than when the 
regiment left South Framingham. There seemed to be a 
chill in the air, too, and instead of applause there was sub- 
dued comment on the appearance of the men as they marched 
past. 

Surely the men did not look like ballroom soldiers. The 
uniforms were in many cases ill-fitting and soiled, the march- 
ing was not done with the precision of some crack national 
guard organizations which did not go to the frout, and the 
faces of the majority of the officers and men wore the yellow 
signal of service in a pestilential climate. But this in itself 
ought to have been warrant for some outburst of satisfaction 
in the gallant deeds of the regiment instead of curious stares 
and the silence of wonderment. However, there were spora- 
dic cases of applause and as the men did not much care 
whether they received any or not, they found little fault with 

152 



h 



I— I 

« 

H 



i—J 



the lack of it. Only the members of the companies from out- 
side the city wondered mildly what it all meant, and if after 
all it would not have been as well to have stayed at home and 
not have tried to stand bj the flag when men were wanted. 

The ceremonies at the armory were informal enough. Each 
company was mustered out in turn by Lieut. Col. E. M. 
Weaver of the Fifth Massachusetts U. S. V.. who as a lieu- 
tenant in the Second U. S. Artillery had mustered us in at 
South Framingham on May 3d. He was assisted by Lieut. 
Edwards and it did not take very long to put each company 
** out of business" as United States Volunteers. The com- 
pany was formed, the men answered to their names and took 
position in the same manner as when mustered in, and this 
over the company commander was informed that the com- 
pany was mustered out and that discharge papers for each man 
would be provided. 

But the discharge papers did not come that day nor for sev- 
eral days. The paymaster had failed to arrive with the 
funds and until these were distributed the men had but little 
use for discharge papers. It was explained that the reason 
for delay on the paymaster's part was due to errors in the 
rolls sent in from a few of the companies and as the men 
wanted their three months pay and allowances rather more 
than discharges, it is no wonder if some unkind things were 
said as to the paymaster and these companies. 

It was not until November 17th that the long looked for 
pay arrived , and the companies were ordered to once more 
assemble at the armory, this time for the purpose of settling 
accounts with Uncle Sam. This oj^ration was simple enough, 
yet very interesting to the recipients of the contents of the small 
and dingy valise of the paymaster. The three months' pay 
with the allowances for clothing and ration money made quite 
a sizable sum for the great majority of the men, and the nice 
new greenbacks which they received were not refused. 
With the money came the discharge papers as a sure enough 

8 153 



sign that we were no longer soldiers of the United States- 
Many of the officers and men failed, however, to settle up with 
Major Sherman on the 17th. Some of the officers had not 
squared their accounts with the war department and in some 
cases they were obliged to wait a considerable time before 
they accounted for every bit of property they were held re- 
sponsible for and complied with all tlie red tape. A number 
of the men were not able to be on hand, owing to sickness. 
and other causes, when Major Sherman finally arrived and 
they were likewise forced to wait. An interesting episode of 
" paying off " time was the breezy disagreement between, 
Major Sherman and Capt. McDonald of B company, over tiie 
former's refusal to ipay some eight men of the latter's com- 
pany', who had, it seems, signed one pay roll and supposed 
that everj'^thing was all right. As it happened, when Major 
Sherman came to Springfield, he failed to bring the correct 
roll for B company, and insisted that the members should 
sign a new one. This was done, but as the eight men re- 
ferred to were out of the city, they were unable to sign, and 
when they appeared for their pay, were told they would have 
to wait for some time. The majority of the men needed the 
money and needed it badly, but although Capt. McDonald 
exhausted every effort to obtain it for them, it was not till 
quite a while had elapsed that they were paid. The oppor- 
tunity afforded Capt. McDonald for some caustic criticisms of 
the workings of the war department was not allowed to pass. 
In those days it was a great thing to be a returned soldier 
as was instanced in the cases of several of the boys who were 
members of more or less secret organizations. It got to be a 
common thing for these associations to show their apprecia- 
tion of their soldier members by presenting them with money 
or badges, or some token of esteem, and a number of the men 
who served with the Springfield companies are wearing med- 
als or badges thus presented. Probably none of them was 
prouder of his medal than Private Morris Grenowitz of B 

154 



company who had the distinction of being the only Hebrew 
in the three Springfield companies. He was a member of 
the Young Men's Hebrew Association, and soon after his re- 
turn the association held a public reception in his honor and 
presented liim with a check for a small sum of mone}' and a 
gold medal. Private Peter F. Boj^er of B company was giv- 
en a gold watch by the members of an organization to which 
he belonged and several of the other boys were similarly 
remembered, among them Private William Ferrier of G com- 
pany who was given a handsome gold ring. A number of 
the members ot the vSpringfield companies resided in West 
Springfield and the inhabitants of the village of Mittineague 
in that town honored their soldiers one evening by a big recep- 
tion and entertainment with plenty of red fire, etc., included. 

A largely attended public reception and flag presentation 
was held in the city hall, on the evening of November 3d, to 
which the officers and members of the Springfield companies, 
and their relatives and friends were invited and the hall was 
packed to the doors. Gov. Wolcott and members of his staff 
were present and the governor spoke, as did a number of the 
prominent citizens, all eulogizing the work of the regiment 
and paving a tribute to the officers and men who had failed 
to return. The tattered colors of the regiment were in evi- 
dence and their appearance in the hall was the signal for an 
outburst of applause. On this occasion the stands of colors 
purchased for each company in connection with the Fourth 
of July celebration of 1898, which never came off, were form- 
ally presented, and as the representatives of each of the com- 
panies advanced to receive the new and handsome flags, the 
audience broke into applause and cheers. These flags were 
bought with the proceeds of the sales of the Fourth of July 
badges which were to have been a feature of the celebration 
and a good sum was realized. 

Previous to muster-out First Sergeant T. F. Burke of B 
company had been appointed on the recommendation of Col. 

155 



Clark as Second Lieutenant to fill the vacancy caused by the 
death of Lieut. Harry J. Vesper, 

Immediately following the muster-out Dr. E. A. Gates, 
who had been promoted from Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon 
with the rank of Major, vice Bowen, deceased, was ordered 
to Boston and Worcester to assist in the work of examining 
the men of other regiments to be mustered out. Assistant 
Surgeon Hitchcock was also ordered on this same duty. Dr. 
Hitchcock was attacked with a serious spinal trouble and 
for some months his life was despaired of. He finally recov- 
ered but not until after weary months of suffering. 

Soon after the muster-out of the Second the provisional 
militia companies organized in the city during the war 
ceased practically to exist, although they were not formally 
disbanded for some timo afterwards. The reorganization of 
the Second as a part of the Massachusetts Volunteer Mihtia 
did not start until after its muster out of the United States 
service and it was at one time freely predicted that the work 
of reorganization would be the hardest task ever experienced 
by those in charge. It looked so at times, but in spite of the 
croakers and pessimists who asserted that it was likely that 
the Second would never be the same regiment again the reor- 
ganization was quietly and successfully effected and it was 
not long before the outfit was once again in its old form. 
A surprisingly large number of the officers and men who 
had served in the war remained in the regiment and this was 
especially the case in the three Springfield companies, G and 
B having more of the veterans than K. The state granted 
the regiment a 30 days' furlough dating from Nov. 3 to Dec. 
3 in order to allow time to get matters straightened out be- 
fore its entrance upon a career of mihtia service again. 

Meanwhile steps had been taken toward an expedition to 
go to Cuba and' bring back the bodies of the dead of the 
Second. The co-operation of the cities and towns from 
which the regiment was recruited was obtained and a num" 

loG 



ber of meetings were held in this city, representatives from 
Worcester, Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield, Orange 
and Adams being present with authority from their respect- 
ive cities and towns. After a number of meetings an expe- 
dition was organized which left for Cuba in January, 1899. 
The Springfield representatives were Lieut. T. F. Burke of 
B compan}', Lieut. Fred Jenks of K company. Private 
Dozilva Lamoroau of G company and Private Alfred Rose 
of B, the latter going as interpreter. The progress of the 
expedition was slow at first, owing to many difficulties con- 
nected \'"ith obtaining permission to disinter the bodies and 
of getting transportation, but thanks to incessant work and 
powerful influence these were at last disposed of and the 
party sailed from New York on Jan. 29. It was necessary 
to go first to Porto Rico and remain there some days but 
after Santiago was reached there was comparatively little 
trouble. The bodies of the Springfield men were all located 
and identified with one exception, that of Private Robert E. 
Kelly of G, who was fatally shot on the night of July 2d at 
San Juan. The bodies were encased in metallic coffins and 
on arrival in Springfield were given proper burial. An elab- 
orate service was held over the body of Sergeant Richard H. 
Bearse of B company in the State Street Baptist church, 
representatives of the city government and the organizations 
of which he was a member as well as his own company, 
being present. The church was crowded with friends and 
the ceremonies were impressive. Before this the body of 
Musician Frank P. Jones of K had been brought on from 
Montauk and buried in Oak Grove cemeterj'- after largely 
attended services in the State Street Methodist church. The 
bodies of the G company men were buried with military 
honors also and those of Privates Little and Stetson, whose 
relatives could not be found, were interred in a lot which the 
company purchased in the Springfield cemetery. 

Twice within the year 1899 were the Springfield compa- 

157 



nies called together to go over again in memory the deeds of 
the previous year. For some time there had been desultory 
talk of public honors being paid to the dead of the compa- 
nies and finally a memorial service was arranged for and 
was held in the citj- hall on Sunday afternoon, April 16. 
It was one of the most disagreeable days imaginable, a fall 
of mingled rain and snow filling the streets with slush, but 
despite this the building was jammed to suffocation. The 
platform was decorated with appropriate bunting and in 
front were representations of memorial tablets bearing the 
names of the officers and men of the companies who had 
given their lives in the cause. The war-worn regimental 
colors were brought on from Boston for the occasion and 
were draped in the rear of the platform. Affecting tiibutes 
were paid to the dead heroes and eulogies were pronounced 
by some of Springfield's most prominent citizens. 

The camp of the First Brigade M. V. M. at South Fram- 
ingham in August, 1899, brought the regiment once more 
onto the ground where it was mustered into the United 
States service the year before, but under much different cir- 
cumstances than then. The ranks of the Second contained 
a very large percentage, a majority, in fact, of those who 
had gone out with it to Cuba and the red sleeve stripes 
indicating service in war were conspicuous on the blouses of 
the greater number of the men. At this time old friend- 
ships formed during the campaign were renewed and new 
ones formed. 

On the occasion of the annual fall drill of the state militia 
in Boston in October Admiral George Dewey was the guest 
of the city and the event was also made the occasion of the 
formal ' ' turning over " of the ' 'war colors " to the state. 
The Second came in for no little share of the honors of the 
occasion, as well it might. 

As time wore on after the return of the regiment from the 
fever stricken camps in Cuba the malarial poison left the 

1§8 



bodies of the men and within six months afterwards the 
majority of them had regained their normal health. There 
were many, however, with whom the exposures and hard- 
ships of the campaign had raised havoc and to this day some 
show the effects of the short but eventful period when they 
were serving under the flag. The latest man in the Spring- 
field companies to succumb to the ravages of disease 
contracted in the campaign was Private John L. Morehouse 
of K company, who died Nov. 13 of typhoid fever. 

In October, 1891), a number of the officers and men of the 
Springfield companies who had served in the Cuban war 
began the organization of a camp of the Legion of Spanish 
War Veterans, an order patterned after the model of the 
Grand Army of the Republic and which it is to be hoped 
will be to the veterans of the war with Spain what the 
Grand Army is to the men who fought in the Civil war. 
The camp was named after Henry S. Lee of Springfield, 
whose splendid and self-sacrificing work for the benefit of 
the soldiers and sailors in the Spanish war will never be for- 
gotten by them or the people. 

Thus closes the record of Springfield's three infantry com- 
panies in the war with Spain. It is not a long chronicle but 
it is one in which the people of the City of Homes can 
always take a just pride. It is not confined to these com- 
panies alone either, for aside from the efficient duty performed 
by her company in the naval brigade, there were many indi- 
vidual enlistments in regular regiments and there was the 
splendid work done at the United States armory in turning 
out the arms with which the troops were equipped. As in 
the Civil war the works were run day and night and the 
force of employes trebled. There was good work done too at 
the recruiting station and it is not too much to say that 
Springfield was a prominent factor in the war from its begin- 
ning to its close. When the rebellion against the authority 
of the United States in the Phillippines broke out and volun- 

159 



teers were again called for Springfield again showed its 
patriotism. A number enlisted from this cit}' in the famous 
26th and among them were many of the men wlio had seen 
service in Cuba. Others went into the 4Gth and more would 
have gone had it been necessary. As always the cit}' and its 
men young and old showed their loyalty to the flag, whether 
it led the way to the hills around Santiago or to the rice 
swamps and jungles of Luzon. 



CHAPTER XX. 

WHEREiy IS NARRATED THE ADVENTURES ON THE HIGH 
SEAS OP SPRINGFIELD'S SAILORS. 

.^|]j|r|f^HILE the land soldiers which Springfield furnished 
vW/ m/I ^^^ government were enjoying themselves in Flori- 
*r^>^«P da and Cuba and to^'ing with the canned roast beef 
'^M^V'" and other hicidentals of a campaign, the Springfield 

<^ marine contingent was not having an altogether love- 
ly time. On the monitor Lehigh and the auxiliary cruiser 
Prairie there was work and hard work too in plenty but on 
the whole the rations and the quarters were better than those 
enjoyed by the infantry contingent. But the boys of H com- 
pany, naval brigade, pined for active service and those on the 
Lehigh were aggrieved at not getting it while their comrades 
on the Prairie were roaming the seas on a fast ship in chase of 
of the enemy or doing blockade dut}' off the coasts of Cuba and 
Porto Rico. It was hard work for the Lehigh men to be 
cooped up on their old, " flat boat" in Boston harbor during 
the stirring times of the summer of 1898 but it is to their 
credit that although they grumbled at their lot as all good 
sailors do, yet they did their full duty and did it well. 

The bringing of the Lehigh from the League Island navy 
yard to Boston Harbor was in itself something of an achieve- 
ment for the tug which towed her broke down and the moni- 
tor was forced to proceed mider her own steam, much to the 



surprise of those on the tug Clara Clorita. This happened at 
Vineyard Haven and from that point to Boston the Lehigh 
was cast oS. from the tug and was sailed the remainder of the 
way under her own steam and by her own crew. When the 
Lahigh left Philadelphia the navy yard officials were appre- 
hensive of her behavior at sea as she was primarily a coast 
defence vessel but the naval brigade men in the monitor 
found no great trouble in sailing her. 

The Lehigh reached Boston on May 5 and on the 9th the 
Spriogiield officers and men of the crew were given leaves of 
absence and furloughs to enable them to attend the presenta- 
tion of "The Ensign" by Springfield amateurs at the Court 
Square theater for the benefit of the company fund. The 
crew included Lieut. J. K. Dexter, Lieut, (j. g.) W. O. 
Cohn, Ensign Walter S. Barr and Seamen W. A. Sabin, A. 
N. Luce, R. P. King, Paul H. Lathrop, L. E. Ladd, W. S. 
Johnson, W. F. Bright and R. H. B. Warburton. The pre- 
sentation was a successful one in every wa}' and netted quite 
a sura. 

Meanwhile the Lehigh had been permanently detailed for 
duty in Boston harbor as a coast defence vessel and a disa- 
greeable surprise was in store for some of the Springfield men 
when they returned from their furloughs. They were all 
anxious to re-enlist for service and had been assured by Capt. 
Weeks, commanding the naval brigade, that if they tele- 
graphed to him their willingness to re-enlist before a certain 
hour on the 10th, places would be kept for them. But on 
their arrival on the ship on May 12th they found that there 
was only one vacancy left. Just how the mistake was made 
was never thoroughly explained, but it was suspected by the 
Springfield men that there was a scheme to shut as many of 
them as possible out in favor of some Boston naval militia- 
men. They felt it keenly and Lieut. Dexter succeeded in 
straightening out matters so that Coxswain Johnson and 
Seamen Bright and Warburton were re-enlisted. Sabin, 

162 



Luce and King had already done so and this left only Lath- 
rop and Ladd out in the cold. In spite of their efforts they 
could not get in. 

The officers suffered also from the fact that there were not 
places enough for all of them in the Lehigh's complement as 
a coast defense ship. Lieut. Cohn was offered the alternative 
of going on the waiting list or being reduced in rank to 
ensign. He chose the latter and remained with 
the ship but there was no place for Ensign Barr and he was 
placed on the waiting list and returned home to await orders. 
Later Lieut. Dexter was taken from the Lehigh and placed 
on the converted ferry boat "Governor Russell," the property 
of the City of Boston which had turned ov«r to ,the govern- 
ment , as executive officer. 

All this time the "Prairie dogs," as the crew of that vessel 
were dubbed by their less fortunate comrades, were having a 
fairly good time at the Brooklyn navy yard. Much time was 
spent there in fitting up the vessel as an auxiliarj'' cruiser and 
until the work was well advanced the crew was lodged and 
fed in hotels and later in the navy yard barracks. 

As it happened, Ralph H. Newcomb was the first of the 
Springfield men to reach the Prairie and report for duty. He 
was in Washington on a visit when orders were issued for H 
company t/O report at Brooklyn and when he was notified by 
Lieut. Grossman he lost no time in getting to that city and 
the navy yard, beating out his comrades by several hours. 

Hammocks were ' ' swung " on the Prairie for the first time 
on Saturday, May 7th, and from that time until muster-out 
in September hotel fare was a dream of the past to which the 
boys looked back with considerable regret. The Prairie, com- 
pletely transformed into a war ship, left the navy yard and 
steamed down the harbor to Tomkinsville. This was on Fri- 
day, the 13th of May, but if there was any "hoodoo" it 
failed to work. The next day the Prairie steamed out to sea 
and had target practice, badly frightening some of the resi- 

163 



dents of the coast with the big guns. Late in the afternoon 
the Prairie gave chase to a suspicion* craft which turned out 
to be an EngUsh tramp steamer. 

The Prairie had been assigned to patrol duty on the North 
Atlantic coast with the San Francisco. The "Frisco" was 
sighted on the day following and both ships steamed into 
Provincetown and remained there for the next day, sailing 
out late in the afternoon. It is recorded that the sailors 
washed clothes during their stay in Provincetown and it is 
evident they were getting a taste of the life of a jolly tar. 
The regular patrol tour of the Prairie was from Province- 
town north to some 40 miles above Boston, then south to 
Nantucket to Provincetown, meeting the San Francisco off 
the cape and obtaining mail. 

These were not idle days by any means. What with bat- 
talion drills, inspection, target practice, painting ship and the 
regular routine of ship's work the lon^ hours of duty passed 
quickly and the men were pretty well tired out as a rule when 
the time came to get into their hammocks. But the men of 
H company learned fast and soon accustomed themselves to 
life on one of Uncle Sam's war ships. The one thing they 
did not take to very kindly in the line of work was coaling 
ship and this came rather oftener than they had any relish 
for. 

In the way of food there was little to complain of, although 
the fare was not Delmonico-like by any means. One of the 
mess cooks kept a diary of what he served up for every meal 
during the service of the Prairie and it shows that the menus, 
while probably simple enough to the men on board, would 
have been regarded as the acme of luxurious living by their 
brethren of the Second. A few samples are given : break- 
fast, June 10, Indian meal and coffee ; dinner, soup, roast 
beef and potatoes; supper, hash and French toast. June 
12th, breakfast, bacon and potatoes ; dinner, sausages and 

164 



potatoes; supper, beans, cold meat and sausages. The daily 
average was fully up to the samples given above. 

Capt. Train of the Prairie was a disciplinarian and there 
were punishments meted out for various small offences. One 
man was deprived of shore libertj' for three months for 
throwing swill out of a port hole. For smoking outside of 
"smoking hours" the customary punishment was 48 hours of 
extra duty, while for being late with hammocks the sentence 
was for the delinquents to parade the deck for an hour or two 
hours with the hammocks on their shoulders. 

The Prairie sailed from Provincetown June 10th for a brief 
cruise southward, but returned on the 14th. The weather 
was very foggy during the cruise and on the 14th the ship 
came near running down an English tramp steamer passing 
within a boat's length of her. 

On the IGth the Prairie sailed again from Provincetown for 
Delaware breakwater, arriving there on the 18th. The next 
day she sailed for New York, anchoring off Tompkinsville the 
20th. Coaling ship was one of the innocent amusements of 
the day and the men stowed away 83 tons in the afternoon. 
Early next morning the sport was resumed and before break- 
fast 28 tons more had been put away in the bunkers, the reo . 
ord for the day being 182 tons. The next day the coal situa- 
tion again took the attention of the crew but they finished 
the job. Shore liberty resulted in some of the men over- 
staying it and being shut off from any more during the stay. 
On Sunday, June 26th,the men got into blue dress for inspec- 
tion but before the ceremony was over orders came to sail at 
once for Key West. Off came the blue suits and the men 
got into their "coal "suits again and finished coaling ship 
at 1.30 in the morning. The Prairie sailed for Key West on 
the 27th, arriving there June 1st. Her stay was short, for 
the same day she left with mail for the blockading squadron 
off Cuba and sighting the Amphitrite the next day trans- 
ferred her mail to her. Later that day the Prairie gave the 

165 



mail to the Newport, Montgomery, Vicksburg and Marietta 
That afternoon the men on the Prairie saw the Marietta pick 
up a refugee from the shore and saw the guns from Morro 
Castle fire at her but fail to strike. 

On July Fourth the men paraded in blue and fired the 
national salute. The Prairie for a day or two acted as flag- 
ship of the squadron during tlie absence of the Amphitrite at 
Key West. 

On Tuesday, July 5th, the Hawk came alongside the 
Prairie with orders for the latter to proceed to Mariel, 23^ 
miles from Havana, and assist in the capture of a liner sup- 
posed to have been trying to run the blockade. The liner 
proved to be the Spanish transport Alphonso XII, with a 
large number of soldiers on board. She had tried to run the 
blockade but had been discovered and chased so sharply by a 
couple of the convert^ed yachts attached to the blockadmg 
squadron that she was run ashore and lay head on. The 
troops and her crew had managed to get ashore by the time 
the Prairie came up, but it was not certain that she was not 
manned and several shots were sent at her from the starboard 
six-inch guns. After the fourth or fifth shot there was an 
explosion, evidently her magazine, and as she did not return 
the fire the Prairie ceased firing. During the firing a saucy 
little Spanish gunboat stuck her nose out of the harbor but a 
couple of six-inch shells settled her fate and she was sunk in 
quick time. The firing at the Alphonso XII was first-rate 
target practice and at long range, too, all the shells hitting 
her, although the range was 6GU0 yards. 

On July 7th the Tecumseh brought a lot of mail from Key 
West for the Prairie and a good share of the day was put in 
in reading it. On the 9th a small shark was caught and 
some of the boys secured teeth as souvenirs. 

Monday, July 11th, the Prairie was relieved of blockade 
duty off Mariel and ordered to Gibara with the Topeka, May- 
flower and Badger, the Prairie being made the flagship of the 

166 



squadron. The trip to Gibara was without special incidents 
and the ships arrived there on the 13th. Just as the block- 
aders appeared a schooner and two fishing smacks which 
were just coming out made haste to get back into the port. 
Blockade duty was kept up for several days and occasionally 
the ship would go in so close to the town that the people 
could be seen in the streets. The search-lights were used 
about every night and this work was pleasing to the men 
detailed for it. 

The San Francisco arrived on the 17th and took off a lot of 
mail for the United States, Since leaving Havana the crew 
of the Prairie had not received any mail and were- eagerly 
expecting some. On the 18th the supply of sugar gave out 
and this was keenly felt until some was procured. On the 
20th the Maple, which had joined the squadron, caught a 
small sloop with a crew of four men and laden with tobacco, 
making the first prize of the tour. 

One of the marine detail on the Prairie was a Springfield 
man named John Fenton and on the 21st he was the victim 
of a severe accident caused by the slipping of a six-inch shell 
from his hands at gun practice. The shell landed on his foot, 
badly crushing it. 

This same day a delegation of the prominent citizens of 
Gibara came out in a small boat and offered to surrender the 
town as the Spanish garrison was about to leave and the in- 
habitants were afraid of the negroes in the vicinity. On 
receiving the offer the Prairie steamed to Nipe bay where the 
Topeka was found engaged in shelling the town. The 
Dupont took a message to the Topeka and the Prairie returned 
to Gibara. From a Cuban who came out in a dory it was 
learned that the inhabitants had raised an American flag over 
the town and were anxious that a force be landed to take pos- 
session of the place. It was also learned that the town was 
short of provisions. The Cuban's heart was gladdened by 
the gift of hardtack, canned meat, corn and coffee. On the 

167 



25th the Mangrove brought orders to proceed to Guantanamo 
bay and coal up at once. At Guantanamo fresh meat and 
also newspapers a week or two old were received, 

Wednesday, July 27th, marked the close of the third 
month of service of the Prairie's crew and as if to celebrate 
the event the Supply' came in with a lot of provisions. The 
work of coaling ship was begun on the niglit of the 25th and 
did not cease until the 27th, the men standing their regular 
watches and doing their trick with the coal as if it was noth- 
ing unusual. 

The Prairie sailed from Guantanamo bay on the evening of 
the 27th and reached San Juan, Porto Rico, on the 29th. 
Some ammunition brought from Guantanamo for the cruiser 
New Orleans was transferred to lier in boats. The Prairie 
did not stay long at San Juan but sailed ' for Ponce on the 
other side of the island on the 31st, arriving there the next 
day. Troops were being landed at Ponce, and the roadstead 
was filled with war ships and transports. One of tlie irans- 
ports became stuck on a bar outside the light-house and the 
Prairie had hard work getting her off the bar. A lot of 
mangoes brought aboard resulted in a number of the men 
being made ill from indulging too freely in the fruit. The 
soldiers on the transport Massachusetts, the one which was 
stuck, were taken on board the Prairie and fed, being landed 
the next day. 

News of the cessation of hostilities reached the ship August 
5th and was received at first with incredulity. The night of 
Friday, August 12th, was made memorable b}^ Burgess 
tumbling out of his hammock three times in rapid succession. 
*'Rags," the canine mascot, had become subject to fits and 
was assisted to commit suicide one day while in the harbor. 

The Prairie received orders to sail for the United States and 
on August 18th left for Santiago, arriving there the 20th. 
The ship left Santiago the 2 1 st, with three companies of the 
Seventh infantry on board. All 'went well until the 25th, 

168 



when a heavy fog came on and the Prairie ran aground near 
Amagansett Point, 15 miles from Montauk Point. There 
was considerable confusion, of course, but the Prairie was 
handled well. All the boats were lowered and two kedge 
anchors were put out, one from the starboard quarter and 
the other from the starboard forecastle. The boats were out 
all night and it was not until at high tide the next da}^ that 
the Prairie was hauled off by the tug Brittania and a light- 
house tender. The soldiers were landed and taken to Mon- 
tauk Point. After being hauled off the Prairie sailed for 
Montauk Point, arriving there early in the evening. At 
Montauk the Prairie was put into quarantine until the 28th. 
Hardly was she out of quarantine before she steamed to 
Newport and from there to Fall River, where a warm recep- 
tion was given the Fall River men on board the ship. That 
evening the Fall River and New Bedford men went ashore 
but the Springfield contingent was kept on board, much to 
their disappointment. On the 80th the Prairie left Fall Rivtr 
and steamed down to Newport, the event of the evening 
being the playing of the "Fu-Fu" baud. The next day the 
ship started for New York and remained there until the 19th, 
when she went to Delaware Breakwater. Rumors of dis- 
charge began to agitate the crew soon after arriving in New 
York and Capt. Train went to Washington to confer with 
the Navy Department concerning it but returned with no 
definite knowledge of the exact time the muster-out would 
take place. From Delaware Breakwater the Prairie steamed 
up to the League Island navy yard where some of the guns 
were taken off and transferred to the New York. During 
the stay in New York and at League Island the ' ' Rough 
Riders" made several successful initiations. 

Sunday, September 25, hammocks were lashed for the last 
time and after the dunnage had been loaded on a tug, the 
crew mustered and gave three cheers for Capt. Train and 
Lieuts. Stone and Stimpson. This done, the crew bade good 

u 169 



bye to the Prairie and went ashore, going to Jersey City by 
train. After a brief trip on a ferry, the Fall River boat was 
boarded for the trip to that city and Boston. The latter 
place was reached about 10 o'clock Monday morning and 
after passing in review before the governor at the state house 
the Prairie men proceeded to the receiving ship Wabash, 
where they were furloughed until the following Wednesday. 
The boys enjoyed themselves hugely in Boston until Wednes- 
day, when they were mustered out and given their discharges 
from the service of the United States. 

At 9.15 that evening, the Springfield part of the crew ar- 
rived home and were given an enthusiastic welcome in which 
red fire and fireworks played a prominent part. At the ar- 
mory the men were greeted by glad relatives and soon dis- 
persed to their homes plain naval militiamen once more after 
doing their full duty to Uncle Sam and serving him well. 

Lieut. H. S Grossman, who went out with the Prairie de- 
tail remained on the ship until she was ordered south, when 
he and some of the other oflBcers were sent out on special 
duty. He was assigned to duty as recruiting officer on the 
Minnesota and remained there until a short time before the 
dismissal of the Prairie's crew from the service. 

Lieut. J. K. Dexter was detailed from duty on the Lehigh 
to duty as navigator on the converted ferry boat. Gov. Rus- 
sell, and ordered to take her to Key West. The trip was an 
eventful one, for the Gov. Russell as a war boat was a fear- 
fully and wonderfully constructed piece of marine architec- 
ture, and there were times when it was a question whether 
Bhe would ever reach a port or not. But finally she was nav- 
igated as far as Newport News, and after looking her care- 
fully over, the naval authorities decjded that it was not wise 
to expose her again to the high seas. ; 

After muster-out of the Lehigh detail H company was 
once more at home and it was not long before the reorganiza- 
tion of the command as a part of the state militia was begun 

170 



and successfully carried out, a good number of the officers 
And men who had seen service remaining. Today the com- 
pany is once more in its old position of the best all-round 
company in the Massachusetts naval brigade. 

On October 27th, a number of prominent citizens tendered 
H company a banquet at Hotel Worthy, and the occasion 
will long be remembered as a very pleasant one. During the 
evening the handsome silk American flag, purchased for the 
company by citizens, was presented by Rev. Dr. P. S. 
Moxom. 



ROSTER. 



FIELD STAFF AND NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF. 
Colonel, Embury P. Clark. 
Major, Frederick G. Southmayd. 
Adjutant, First Lieut. Paul R. Hawkins. 
Quartermaster, First Lieut. Edward E. Sawteli* 
Major and Surgeon, Henry C. Bowen. 
Major and Surgeon, Ernest A. Gates. 



Sergeant-Major, Robert N. Ingersol. 
Quartermaster- Sergeant, Ross L. Lusk. 
Hospital Steward, Edson P. Howes. 



G. COMPANY. 
Captain, John J. Leonard. 
First Lieutenant, William C. Hayes, 
Second Lieutenant, Edward J. Leyden, 
First Sergeant, William Butement, 
Sergeants, Jeremiah F. Scully. 

Joseph N. Lovely. 

Walter W. Ward. 

Joseph A. Murphy. 

James A. Gibbons. 
Corporals, Robert A. Ross. 

Patrick J. Noonk. 

Michael J. McHalk. 

Frank C. Keating, Chicopee Falls. 

Nataline Gardella. 

Ernest E. Robinson. 

172 



Musicians, Patrick J. O'Connell, 

Robert D. Carqill. 
Wagoner, James R. Skene. 
Artificer, Benjamin 



Frank A. ADderson 
Timothy T. Austin 
Elmer B. Barrowcliffe 
Frank J. Barsalow 
Daniel J. Bellamy 



A. Seamans. 

PRIVATES 

Dozilva P. Lamoroaux, Chic- 

opee 
Andrew Little 
Christopher T. Lovett 
John J. Mahoney, W. Sp'f'd 



Wilbur G. Brassard, Thomp- Thomas F. Mahoney 



sonville 
James H. Bresnahan 
Patrick J. Bresnan 
Alfred C. Brownell 
Francis C. Burke 
Thomas Burke 
Henry T. Conrad 
George W. Campbell 
Thomas M. Conlin 
William E. Coolidge 
Timothy J, Crowley 
William R. Dillon, W. Sp'f'd 
John H. Dunn 
George E. Easton 
William Ferrier 
Charles R. Fisher 
Theodore Gelinas, Holyoke 
Frank M. Hannon 
Patrick J. Hayes 
Andrew F. Higgfins 
Frank N. Hunt 
Robert G. Kelly 
Edward K. Lathrop 
Henry H. Lawler 



George H. Markham 
John B. Mandeville 
Ernest P. Marble 
Dennis F. McCarthy 
Henry E. Merchant 
Louis Monteverde 
Fred H. Morrill 
Carl A. Mueller 
James J. O'Brien 
Charles A. Nelson 
John J. O'Leary 
Arthur H. Packard 
Walter A. Packard 
Jacob Peterson 
George A. Richmond 
William J. Rooney 
WiUiam J. Root 
Jeremiah J. Shea 
Cyrus A. Shufelt 
Henry J. Slattery 
Fred S. Stetson 
John E. Tobin 
Henry B. Whitmore 
Samuel Wilaon 



173 



B COMPANY. 

Captain, Henby McDonald. 
First Lieutenant, William J. Young. 
Second Lieutenant, Harry J. Vesper. 
Second Lieutenant, Thomas F. Burke. 
Sergeants, Richard H. Be arse. 

Samuel E. Smith. 

George J. McKeown. 

John J. O'Connell. 

Everett W. Wilcox. 
Corporals, Frank A. Wakefield. 

Melvin H. Ransom. 

Richard B. Blaney. 

Michael J. Donahue. 

John B. Fulton. 

Thomas F. Handy. 
Musicians, Henry F.Ladbury. 

Bernard E. Comey. 
Wagoner, Paul J. Kingston. 
Artificer, Orvin E. Alberts. 

PRIVATES 

Charles H. Ashley Donald A. McPhee 

John Bryson William J. Mack 

Peter F. Boyer Daniel J. Moriarty 

William F. Barton Frank C. Mattoon 

William J. Barton Axel Mahlstrom, East Long- 
John M. Carey meadow 

William F. Childs John J. Malone 

Matthew J. Clark Howard S. Meyrick, Aga- 
Theophile J. Champagne wam 

Clarence E. Chapman John J. O'Donnell 

William W. Chadbourne Arthur M. Partridge 

Albert M. Chandler Giles S. Potter, Pittsfield 

174 



Lewis R. Dikeman 
Frank F. Dingman 
Robert D. Draper 
Daniel S. Deviiie 
Albert R. Dunn 
George PeGray 
John K. DeLoach 
Frank L. Edson 
Henry T. Ellis 
James F. Ferrier 
Ellsworth Frey 
Eugene B. Grenier 
Morris Grenowitz 
Joseph Genereaux 
John C. Hurley 
Robert J. F. Judd 
Michael F. Kelleher 
Ernest J. Monseau 



Alwin B. Richter 
Christopher J. Riordan 
Thos. R. Rooney, Westfield 
Wilmore S. Riopel 
Matthew M. P. Ryan 
James C. Ryan 
Henry P. Roberts 
Frank X. Rivers 
Clarence B. Ross 
Harry H. Richards, West 

Springfield 
Alfred E. Rose 
John J. Smith 
Frank Twohey, Worcester 
Paul L. Vesper 
Harry C. Wakefield 
Ernest C. Whitcomb 
Edwin W. Wright 



K COMPANY. 
Captain, William S. Warriner. 
First Lieutenant, Philip C. Powers. 
Second Lieutenant, Harry H. Parkhurst 
First Sergeant, Arthur J. Berry. 
Sergeants, Fred A. Jenks, Chicopee. 

G. Burton Hall. 

David A. Turner. 

J. Lewis Kelly. 

Hyatt W. Avery. 
Corporals, William C. Piper. 

Thomas C. Boone. 

Burdbtt a. Madison. 



176 



William E. Turner. 

Albert Marsden. 

Bert F. Nichols. 
Musicians, Frnak P. Jones. 

Louis P. Castaldini. 
Wagoner, Frank N. Boule. 
Artificer, Wilson C. Emery. 

PRIVATES. 



Ernest L. Alderman 

Edward N. Aiken 

Horace W. Allen 

Wallace H. Brown 

George L. Bates 

Ralph A. Barkman 

Arthur N. Broulette 

Arthur M. Burnham 

Albert J, Brunell 

Michael E. Breck 

James W. Britton 

James A. Brazzil 

Frank L. Carr 

Arthur L. Chapman 

WiUiam C. Colvin 

Alwin A. Cameron 

George S, Creeley 

William R. Dunse 

Edwin A. Elwell 

Horatio M. Field 

Wm. J. Fish, W. Springfield 

Harry D. Fisher 

Ralph Fisk 

Herman H. Fuller 

Julian B. Hawkes 

Louis H. Hall 

Frank B. Hendricks 

George Hallier 

Edward R. Hubbard 



Charles Hoadley 
Irving J. Johnson 
Ward Lathrop 
Michael R. Lyons 
Everett W, Luther 
Myron W. Maynard 
Charles E. McLeod 
Wm. C. McCuUoch, Chicopee 
Frank E. Moody 
John L. Morehouse 
Homer G. Munson 
Samuel W. Nesbitt 
Charles Owens 
A. L. Potter 
George W. Potter 
Walter J. Reardon 
Phillip H. Robinson 
William E, Stephens 
George E. Sollace 
Edgar W. Snell 
Harry J. Synionds 
Alfred Stone 
Robert B. Terrell 
Nicholas D. Vassilli 
WiUiam J. Walsh 
Harry O. Wilkins 
Joseph G. Woodbury 
Henry Wright, Jr. 
Wilham A. Webb 



176 




Henry S. Lee 



H COMPANY XAYAL BRIGADE. 



Name Racing Ship 

Lieut, Jenness K. Dexter U, S, S. Gov. Russell 

Lieut, (j, g.) Henry S. Croasman U. S. S, Prairie 

Lieut, (j. g.) William O. Cohn U. S. S. Lehijjh 

William A. Dearden, Boatswain's Mate, 2d. class 
William Owens, Gunner's Mate, 2d class 
James A. Turnbull, Gunner's Mate, 3d class 
Curtis H. Jennings, Gunners Mate, 3d class 
Arthur H. Strong, Chief Q. M. 
Winfred A. Sabin, Coxswain 
Herbert E. Burns, Bayman 
Ernest F. Gilbert, Shipwright 

George H. Nobbs, Pay Yeoman " 

Albert M. Pease, Cook *' 

SEAMEN, 

Prairie George W. Lj^man Prairie 
" Irving C. Lombra 



Prairie 



Saturn 
Lehigh 
Prairie 



William H. Brundett 
Weston F. Bright 
A. W. Blauvelt 
Webster C. Clark 
Lewis B. Clark 
Winfred W. Crosier 
Charles Crosier 
Charles W. Dearden 
Lawrence W. Erricson 
Arthur J. C. Fischer 
Robert C. Goodale 
Robert P. King 
Albert N. Luce 
Howard Loomis 
Ward H. Long 
Frank Ladd 



*' George L. Meacham '* 
" Charles B. Miller 
" Ralph Newcomb " 

" Guy A, Preble 
" Gilbert G. Patnode 
" Goulding S. Patnode 
" Walter Swazey " 

" Edwin S. Smith 
" Fred C. Steele 
Lehigh McClellan E. Streeter " 
Prairie Rupert H. B. Warburton 

Lehigh 
** Robert H. Wheeler Prairie 
'* Henry W. Watson " 



177 



THE ROLL OF HONOR. 



Henry C. Bowen, Major and Surgeon, died in Second Divis- 
ion Hospital, Santiago, August 1 3, of malarial fever. 

G COMPANY 

Corporal Patrick J. Noone, died in Springfield, September 20, 
1898, typhoid fever. 

Private George A. Richmond, died in field hospital near El 
Caney, July 1, 1898, of wound in head. 

Private Walter A. Packard, killed on field, El Caney, July 
1, 1898. 

Private Robert G. Kellj', died in division hospital of wound 
received in action July 2d, at San Juan. 

Pnvate Francis A. Burke, died at Springfield, October 24, 
1898. 

Private Andrew Little, died in second division hospital, San- 
tiago, August 22, 1898. 

Private Fred S. Stetson, died in second division hospital, San- 
tiago, August 24, 1898. 

B COMPANY. 

Second Lieutenant Harry J. Vesper, died on S. S. Mobile, 

August 17, 1898, of gastric enteritis. 
Quartermaster Sergeant Richard H. Bearse, died in camp 

before Santiago, August 1, 1898, of malarial fever. 
Wagoner Paul J. Kingston, died on S. S. Mobile, August 

27, 1898, of malarial fever. 
Private John J. Malone, died in field hospital, July 5, 1898, 

of wound received at El Caney, July 1. 
Private Paul Vesper, died in camp before Santiago, August 

10, 1898, of malarial fever. 

178 



K COMPANY. 

Corporal William C. Piper, died in second division hospital, 

August 5, 1898. 
Corporal Thomas C. Boone, died in Springfield, March 19, 

1899. 
Musician Frank P. Jones, died at Montauk Point, L. I., 

August 27, 1898. 
Private Frank E. Moody, killed on field, July I, 1898, at El 

Caney. 
Private Arthur M. Burnham, died in division hospital, San- 
tiago, August 18, 1898, of typhoid fever. 
Private Michael R. Lyons, died in Springfield, April 20, 

1899. 
Private George S. Oreley, died in Springfield, June 28, 1899. 
Private John L. Morehouse, died in Springfield, Nevember 

12, 1899. 



Since the muster-out three more of Springfield's contingent, 
all K company men, have answered the final roll call. Cor- 
poral Thomas C. Boone died in Massachusetts general hospi- 
tal at Boston, March 19, ]899, and Private Michael R. Lyons 
at Springfield, April 20, Private George C. Creley died 
June 35, at his home after a long illness. Private John L. 
Morehouse died in Springfield, November 12, 1889. 



SPRINGFIELD'S DEAD HEROES 



HENRY C. BOWEN. 



Henry C. Bowen, major and surgeon of the Second regi- 
ment, died in the Second Division hospital, near Santiago, 
after making a gallimt fight against sickness and death, not 
only for himself but for the regiment under his care. It is 
not too much to say that but for the heavy burden he was. 
under with the care of over 800 sick and dj'ing men on his 
hands, he might liave recovered from the Cuban fever and 
been alive to-day, but as it was he succumbed. It was hi& 
misfortune to go to the front ignorant of the red tape which 
forms an even more effectual barrier to individual action 
than did the Spanish barbed wire to our troops, and it was 
this same red tape which was indirectly responsible for his 
death. When the regiment was in its worst condition in 
front of Santiago, when he was alone in the work of caring 
for the sick and dying, he found it next to impossible to ob- 
tain needed medical supplies for his men, and yet knew he 
was held responsible for their welfare. It is not to be won- 
dered at under these circumstances that he grew nervous 
and irritable, and repelled rather tlian attracted those who 
tried to help him. The wonder of it was, that sick in body 
and mind as he was, he bore up as long as he did. But he 
did what he could and gave his health, and strength, and 
life in his duty. 

Major Bowen was born in Castle Creek, N. Y., the son of 
Dr. Charles W. Bowen of Westfield, and he studied in the 
public schools there and at Wilbraham academy. He 
gained his medical education in the University of New York 
and served in Bellevue hospital for eighteen months and in 
the Broome street lying-in hospital. He began practice in 

180 



Springfield in 1894 and was fast reaching a high place in his 
profession when the war broke out. At the time of his ap- 
pointment he was a member of the surgical staff of the 
Mercy hospital where he was liked by patients and officials. 

HARRY J. VESPER. 
Second Lieutenant Harry J. Vesper of B company, came 
of fighting stock, his father, O. R. Vesper, of Springfield, 
being a one armed veteran of the civil war. Harry was 
born in Springfield and was 31 years of age when he died on 
the Mobile. He studied in the public schools, leaving the 
high school to enter the employ of the Springfield Home- 
stead. There he rose by steady industry and ability, to be 
head of the mailing department and business manager of the 
electrotyping department. For several years he had been 
deeply interested in the militia and had enlisted in B com- 
pany, rising througli the grades of corporal and sergeant to 
the second lieutenantcy, to which he was elected and com- 
missioned May 11, 189(5. For two years he had served as 
adjutant of the first battalion of the regiment, and was pop- 
ular with everyone in the command. 

RICHARD H. BEARSE. 

The news of the death of no member of the Second was 
received in Springfield with more regret than that of Ser- 
geant "Dickie" Bearse of B company. A member of the 
company for several years, he was known and liked by all 
the officers and men of the Springfield companies, for to 
know ' ' Dick " Bearse was to like him With his pride in B 
company and the regiment, not to speak of his patriotism, it 
was only natural he should be anxious to go to the front with 
the Second, and he did so, although he had to twice over- 
come the examining surgeon's objections. In camp and on 
the march he was cheerful and helpful and at El Caney he 
was up with the best of them. But all the while the hard- 

181 



ships and toils of the campaign were sapping his vitality, 
and when the deadly calentura came, he had no strength 
left to resist it, but simply laid down and died. In him B 
company and the Second lost one of their best. Sergeant 
Bearse was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Bearse and was 
24 years of age. His body was brought home and interred 
in the family lot in Oak Grove cemetery, after such a funer- 
al as has seldom been witnessed in Springfield, an outpour- 
ing of grief from hundreds of friends. 

WILLIAM C. PIPER. 
Corporal William C. Piper of K, was bom at Marysville, 
O., in 1874, and his father is a well known lawyer and pro- 
bate judge of that state. Corporal Piper came to Spring- 
field in 1895 as manager of the Stetson Shoe store and had 
charge of the establishment at the time he was mustered in 
to the United States service. He enlisted in K company in 
1897. 

FRANK P. JONES. 

Musician Frank P. Jones of K, and one of the best fellows 
in the Second, died in the hospital at Camp WikolBf, August 
27, after passing through all the hardships of the campaign 
in Cuba without being seriously ill. He was a native of 
Ludlow, Mass., and was 21 years of age. He had served in 
K for three years and though opposed by his parents, could 
not be kept from enlisting as a volunteer when the call 
came for troops. Of a cheerful, happy disposition, he did 
much in the dark days of sickness and death in the camp 
before Santiago, to help his comrades, and his example 
helped many a sick man. 

PAUL J. KINGSTON. 

Wagoner Paul J. Kingston, B company, was an efficient 
soldier and well liked member of the command. He was 
24 years of age when he died on the Mobile and was the son 

182 



of George Kingston, an expressman. He was serving the 
third year of his enHstment in B when the war came and at 
once volunteered to go to the front. 

PAUL VESPER. 
Private Paul Vesper of B was younger than his brother, 
Lieut. Harry J. Vesper, but had many of thequalities which 
made the latter so well liked. He was serving his first en- 
listment in B company when the war came, and promptly 
expressed a desire to volunteer. He died in the camp before 
Santiago, August 10, 1898. 

ROBERT G. KELLY. 
Robert G. Kelly was the third G company man to fall in 
the fighting in front of Santiago. At 10 o'clock on the night 
of July 2d, the crashing of rifle volleys and the screams of 
shells awoke the Second from the sleep of fatigue, and the 
officers and men rushed to the crest of the hill behind whirh 
they had bivouacked. The attack was to the right of the 
Second's position, but while waiting for orders the regiment 
had to stand the rain of scattering shot and Kelly was the 
first to be hit. The bullet struck him in the left cheek, go- 
ing through and lodging in the muscles of the other side. 
He was taken to the division hospital and died there July 15. 
He was the son of Samuel Kelly of Springfield and enlisted 
just before the Second was ordered to South Framingham. 

ARTHUR M. BURNHAM. 
Private Arthur M. Burnham of K was the son of George 
M. Burnham, a well known contractor and builder of 
Springfield. Arthur was born in 1876 and studied in the 
public schools. He was popular with his school fellows and 
with all who knew him. For three years previous to the 
breaking out of the war he had been associated with his fa- 
ther in business. He enlisted in K company soon after its 

183 



transfer to Springfield and after serving three years, left the 
company, a short time before the war broke out. He was 
one of the first of the former members to reenlist when it 
was known that war was certain and bore himself manf ullj' 
through the campaign. He was ill \\nth typhoid when the 
regiment left Cuba and was obliged to be left behind. 

FRED A. STETSON. 
Fred A. Stetson enlisted in G company at the outbreak of 
the war and served faithfully until he was attacked by the 
disease which laid him low, only a day or two after his com- 
rades had left Cuba for home. He was employed in Spring- 
field when he enlisted, but had only been in the city a shoit 
time, and had no near relatives living so far as known. He 
was 24 years old. 

JOHN J. MALONE. 
John J. Malone, fatally wounded at El Caney, was a 
member of B company and had been for two jears previous 
to the outbreak of the war. He was a bright, cheerful 
young fellow and was well liked by his acquaintances as 
well as by his comrades. His parents died during his child- 
hood and John made his home with a relative. He was em- 
ployed in the Homestead ofiice. At El Caney, Malone was 
one of the first men hit, the fatal bullet striking him within 
a few moments after B compan}* had taken its position with 
the 22d. He died in the field hospital. 

FRANK E. MOODY. 
Frank E. Moody of K company, killed in action at El 
Caney, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Moody of 
Springfield and was 20 years old when he enlisted in K, only 
a few days before the regiment left for South Framingham. 
He was shot soon after B and K companies took position on 
the right flank of the 22d. 

184 



ARTHUR HOWARD PACKARD. 

Killed instaDtly at El Caney, July 1, 1898. He was the 
son of Mrs. Helen N. Packard, who, the wife of a soldier 
of the civil war, saw her two sons go to the front in the war 
with Spain, both being members of G company. Arthur 
would have been 19 years of age in November, 1898, and 
had been employed in the Homestead office. When only 17 
he enlisted in G company and was well liked by his comrades. 
When the war came Arthur insisted on being one of the men 
to go with the company. Through the campaign he was 
soldierly and cheerful and his bright, if sometimes caustic 
sayings, did much to help his comrades. He was on the ad- 
vanced firing line of the Second in the squad under Lieut. 
Leyden when the fatal bullet struck him and he died 
instantly 

GEORGE A. RICHMOND. 

George A. Richmond was one of the oldest members of G 
company and was bom in Springfield, He enlisted in 1887. 
and remained a member of the company for several years. 
When it was seen that war was coming, Richmond was one 
of the first to apply to Capt. Leonard for a pla<.'e in the ranks 
and joined the company at South Framingham. At El 
Caney Richmond was with Lieut. Ley den's squad, and was 
shot through the head early in the engagement. Willing 
hands bore him to the improvised field hospital where he lay 
in agony for several hours before death came. He was com- 
forted and consoled by Chaplain Fitzgerald of the 22d, who 
took his last messages. Richmond's mother died in his early 
youth and he had made his home with relatives. He had 
been employed in the Springfield post office. He took a 
small camera with him to Cuba and made a number of 
pictures. 

w 185 



FRANCIS A. BURKE. 
Private Francis A. Barke of G company, who died at the 
H)'J39 of \I3rcy hospital, O3tob3r 8, 1898, was the son of 
Thomas Burke and resided at 196 Spring street. He was 
employed as a clerk in the store of Forbes & Wallace and 
was well liked by his associates. He was 21 years of age . 
As a youth he took much interest in military matters and 
was for so ne tims a membar of the Cathedral cadets. Later 
he enlisted in Gr company and had served some time when 
the war broke out. He promptly volunteered and served 
well in the campaign. 

THOMAS C. BOONE. 
The circumstances surrounding the death of Sergeant 
Thomas C. Boone, who went to the front with K company, 
but was transferred to the U. S. Signal Corps, were particu- 
larly sad as at the time his many friends supposed he was 
practically recovered from the terrible experience he under- 
went while in the service. Boone died in the Mass. General 
Hospital, Boston, on March 19, 1899, after a comparatively 
brief illness. He was a native of Maryland, being born in 
Annapolis in 1876, and came to Springfield in 1891, enlisting 
in K company soon after his coming here. At South Fram- 
ingham Boone was appointed a corporal by Capt. Warriner , 
but the number of these positions in the companies being 
reduced Boone was obliged to serve as a private. Soon after 
the arrival of the Second at Tampa he was transferred to the 
signal corps with the rank of sergeant. He was an expert 
telegrapher and was selected for that reason. On July 2d he 
with Col. Drew and Major Maxfield were in the war balloon 
at San Juan and while the balloon was at a height of 2700 
feet and was being taken over a creek it was pierced by three 
pieces of shrapnel from the Spanish lines and fell. The bas- 
ket caught in the top of a tree and Boone was caught in the 
anchor and hung suspended over the stream for a long time 

186 



■with the iron hook pressing into his side. Then he fell into 
the water. He was badly injured, but did not realize it at 
the time. A few days later he was sent to the hospital, but 
while being conveyed there in a mule team the vehicle was 
upset and he was again injured. On his return to the United 
States through an error on the part of some officer he was 
accused of desertion but after several months the stain was 
taken away and he received an honorable discharge. Boone 
was a popular member of the company and also popular 
among a large number of friends. 

MICHAEL R. LYONS. 

Michael R. Lyons of K company, died in the Mercy hospi- 
tal, Springfield, April 20th, 1899, just a year from the time 
he enlisted and after making a gallant fight against the effects 
of the hardships he underwent in Cuba. He was a well- 
1 ik ed member of the company and made an excellent soldier, 
doing his duty quietly and faithfully. All through the cam- 
paign, although ill at times,[he was cheertul and uncomplain- 
ing and his example was not lost on his comrades. His body 
was taken to Palmer for burial. His parents and brothers 
reside in Springfield. 

ANDREW LITTLE. 

Andrew Little was one of the "recruits" of G company, 
he having gone to the camp at South Framingham with the 
first batch of extra men assembled in Springfield after it was 
known that several vacancies had been caused in the com- 
pany through rejections by the surgeons. He lived in Mid- 
dlebury, Vermont, but had been employed in Springfield for 
some time. During the campaign he served as assistant 
company cook and stood the hardships and exposure fairly 
well until a short time before the regiment left Santiago for 
the Unit«d States 

187 



GEORGE C. CRELEY. 

George C. Creley, 21, was one of the last men of K com- 
pany to die, his death being due to consumption contracted in 
service in Cuba. His death occurred June 28, 1899, after a 
[yx^ illness. Creley left a father and a sister, the former 
living in Springfield. He was a recruit, enlisting in K as 
soon as there was an opportunity and his service was faithful. 

JOHN L. MOREHOUSE. 
The last member of K company to pass away up to the 
time of issuing this volume, was Private John L. Morehouse 
who died Nov. 12, 1899, after an illness of several weeks. 
He was a cousin of Lieut. H. H. Parkhurst of K and was 
well liked by his comrades, being easily one of the most pop- 
ular members of the company. He was 29 years of age and 
aside from cousins, had no near relatives. 



MAY 10 1S09 



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